Haryana government doctors hold two-hour strike to push for demands, pause OPD services
Chandigarh (PTI): Government doctors in Haryana on Thursday observed a two-hour pen-down strike and kept the OPD services closed over non-fulfilment of their demands.
These include no direct recruitment of senior medical officers (SMOs) and implementation of the career progression scheme.
The strike -- observed between 9 am and 11 am -- followed a call given by the Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS) Association, a body representing government doctors in the state.
It had said the OPD services, except emergency and labour room and operations, would remain suspended.
At several places, the OPD services were impacted.
Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president, HCMS Association, said, "For a long time, we have been demanding that there should be no direct recruitment of SMOs. A few years ago, Minister Anil Vij, who held the health department, had ordered that there be no direct recruitment of the SMOs, and last year, too, the government had agreed on this. But now, it is again planning the direct recruitment."
The association is also demanding the implementation of the assured progression scheme.
“Even after being approved by the chief minister, the scheme is stuck at the bureaucratic level and has not been implemented or notified," he added.
The doctors from a number of government health institutions observed the strike across the state, Khyalia said.
He said the further course of action pertaining to their demands would be charted soon.
The association said the direct recruitment of SMOs would block the growth of hundreds of medical officers awaiting promotion to the post after completing 20 years of service, adding that it would lead to "severe stagnation in the cadre".
"This means that the majority of the doctors are limited to only one promotion, and it will lead to many taking a voluntary retirement from service due to the lack of promotional avenues," Khyalia said.
"In the entire country, there is no provision anywhere for direct entry at the SMO level," he added.
Meanwhile, an official statement said the Haryana government's health department had made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth services amid the pen-down strike.
Instructions had been given to the civil surgeons and principal medical officers to keep the OPDs and all emergency services running so that patients do not face inconvenience.
The government had directed them that the services of all consultants and contract medical officers should also be utilised.
The statement said that approximately 400 doctors working under the national healthcare initiative had also been deployed for the OPD services.
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55-bed free palliative care centre to open near Bengaluru’s Nelamangala
Bengaluru: A new 55-bed palliative care centre for terminally ill patients, named the Nemmadi Centre for Palliative Care, will be inaugurated near Nelamangala on Sunday. The facility will offer all services completely free of cost.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Saturday, the centre has been set up by the Sukruthi Charitable Trust in collaboration with Rotary Bangalore Midtown. Around Rs 20 crore has been invested in the project, which will operate without a billing counter, ensuring that families do not have to pay for treatment.
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The centre will provide comprehensive palliative care, including medical support, counselling for patients and their families, and bereavement care. The facility aims to help families cope with the physical and emotional challenges of caring for terminally ill patients.
“A cornerstone of the project was the generous donation of land by former MLC E Krishnappa, which made the centre possible,” DH quoted Palani Loganathan as saying.
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by Madhusudan Sai, founder of the Sri Madhusudan Sai Global Humanitarian Mission, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Rajya Sabha MP Dr C.N. Manjunath who also serves as the chief medical advisor to the centre will also be present, along with several senior government officials and healthcare leaders.
