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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Kulkarni became victim of BJP conspiracy as he grew politically in North Karnataka: Shivakumar
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Bengaluru (PTI): Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar claimed on Friday that Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case, has become a victim of a BJP conspiracy because he was growing politically in the north Karnataka region.
Stating that he has faith in Kulkarni and believes he has done nothing wrong, he said the former minister will fight the case legally by filing an appeal.
A Bengaluru court on Friday sentenced Kulkarni and fifteen others to life imprisonment in the BJP leader Yogeshgouda Goudar murder case.
On Wednesday, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, Judge of the Special Court for cases involving elected representatives, convicted Kulkarni and others under various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy and murder.
“I respect the court. But there was a big conspiracy in this case. When the police were about to file a B-report, the CBI was given the case to harass him (Kulkarni). Vinay Kulkarni has become a victim of a BJP conspiracy as he was growing politically in north Karnataka,” Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said Kulkarni has several legal options.
“I have spoken to his family. He swore on God and told me that he had not done anything wrong. I still have faith in him. I feel that he has not done anything wrong. He has an opportunity to file an appeal,” he said, adding that he stands with Kulkarni’s family and supporters and believes he will get justice.
The case pertains to the killing of Goudar, a BJP zilla panchayat member, in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Kulkarni was a minister at the time. Hired assailants allegedly attacked and hacked Goudar to death in his gym in Saptapur, Dharwad.
Following demands from Goudar’s family and others, the then-BJP government transferred the case to the CBI in 2019.
Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, under whose tenure the case was handed over to the CBI, told reporters in Chikkamagaluru, “I said what I needed to say when the crime happened, and what I said—that the guilty should be punished and justice should be served—has proven true.”
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, BJP leader and MLC C T Ravi, reacting to the court order, said, “Justice delayed, but not denied.”
