Govt doctors’ strike: Karnal, Kaithal districts make do with alternative staff

Government doctors associated with the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) across Karnal and Kaithal districts went on two-day strike over long-pending demands, including the stoppage of direct recruitment of Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) and issuance of notification of the already approved modified assured career progression (ACP) structure. However, on the first day, government hospitals at the district level as well as PHCs and CHCs, largely continued functioning with the help of alternative arrangements made by the administration. The doctors from Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC), retired doctors (consultants), directly recruited speciailists, the doctors from Ayush Department, NHM and Community Health Officers (CHOs) were deployed to manage the health services in both districts.

The healthcare services, including OPDs, emergency care, operations, C-section deliveries, post-mortem and other essential services were expected to be severely affected, but due to efforts made by the administration of making alternative arrangements, the health services continued functioning.

Long queues were seen outside OPDs as well as the registration counter. Some patients wanted to consult the doctors they had been following for treatment. “I came to the Civil Hospital to get checked by the doctor whose treatment I have been following, but now, I have to go to another doctor. The number of patients is high, and I had to wait for a couple of hours for my turn,” said Angrej, a patient.

In Karnal district, the doctors at the Civil Hospital, where over 1,500 patients visit daily, remained absent from duty, but services were not disrupted. Despite the call for a complete shutdown, patient care continued normally due to alternative arrangements to ensure uninterrupted services.

Out of 151 government doctors in the district, 91 participated in the strike, but they maintained service continuity by deploying 68 doctors from the KCGMC, 12 consultants, 16 newly recruited doctors, 46 NHM doctors, 86 CHOs, and 21 Ayush practitioners, said Dr Poonam Chaudhary, Civil Surgeon, Karnal, adding that the OPDs, emergency care, post-mortem services, and other essential departments remained functional. “We have ensured that no patient faces inconvenience,” she added.

Kaithal Civil Surgeon Dr Renu Chawla confirmed that while 69 government doctors were posted in the district, of them 26 were present on duty on Monday. “14 NHM doctors, one consultant, 45 doctors from KCGMC, 22 from the Ayush Department, and 49 CHOs have taken charge of essential services. Treatment for the patients continued smoothly, and there was no major impact of the strike on the first day,” she said.

The doctors participating in the strike expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to patients. “We are not in favour of the strike, but we have been forced to take this step. We have taken two days of mass leave. We apologise to the public, but our demands are genuine and long pending. If the government holds talks and takes positive action, we are ready to end the strike immediately,” said Dr Sanjay Verma, district president of HCMSA.

The doctors had held a meeting with Health Minister Arti Singh Rao, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Health Sudhir Rajpal, and other senior officials on December 3, followed by another meeting on December 5 with Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Chief Principal Secretary to the CM Rajesh Khullar, Sudhir Rajpal, and Director-General Health Dr Manish Bansal. While their demand to stop the direct recruitment of SMOs was accepted, the request for implementation of the modified ACP structure was not fulfilled. Despite this, the doctors decided to go ahead with the strike. Meanwhile, the directly recruited specialists announced not to go on strike with the HCMSA and they are working.

Dr Deepak Goyal, state treasurer of the HCMSA, said both demands had been accepted last year by the Chief Minister but were never notified. “We will go on an indefinite strike from December 10 if their demands are not met within two days,” he added.

Section 163 of BNSS imposed

To ensure the uninterrupted functioning of essential health services amid an ongoing two-day strike of doctors under the banner of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA), District Magistrate Uttam Singh has invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 and issued immediate prohibitory orders across the district. The directive has been enforced to prevent potential protests, disruptions, or public disorder near health institutions during the strike. As per the order, any form of demonstration, protest, sit-in, shouting of slogans, setting up of tented gatherings, marches, or obstruction of access to healthcare facilities is strictly prohibited within a 200-metre radius of any government health institution in the district. This includes government hospitals, Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres , and trauma/emergency units.