HCMS doctors on mass leave today; OPDs closed

Rohtak, January 10

The state executive body of the Haryana Civil Medical Service (HCMS) Association has resolved that the HCMS doctors at all government hospitals/health centres across the state will be on mass casual leave on January 11 to press for the fulfilment of their demands.

Bone of contention

Sources said the demand to stop the direct recruitment to the posts of the SMO was the bone of contention between the doctors and the state authorities

The doctors will provide only emergency, post-mortem and Covid (life-saving) services in public interest even while being on casual leave on Tuesday. All regular services will be provided as usual on January 12 and 13 as per routine.

However, there will be total shutdown of all services, including emergency, Covid and post-mortem, with effect from January 14 until their demands are met.

The demands of the HCMS doctors include the creation of a specialist cadre, stoppage of the direct recruitment of the SMOs and restoration of the HCMS quota in admissions to postgraduate medical courses.

“We will go in for an indefinite strike which would mean total shutdown of all state-run health facilities across Haryana with effect from January 14,” said Dr Jasbir Panwar, president of the HCMS association.

The HCMS doctors complain that direct recruitment to the posts of SMO brings stagnation in the cadre, the top brass of the department asserts that it is part of the service rules, logical and in the larger interest. — TNS