Haryana Government imposes ESMA as HCMS docs go on protest

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, January 11

Healthcare services at the government facilities across the state were adversely affected as a number of the HCMS doctors remained on mass casual leave to press for the fulfilment of their demands on a call given by the HCMS Association today.

The Haryana Government imposed the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), prohibiting the healthcare workers from going on strike for the next six months.

“This indicates that somebody wants to sabotage the fight against Covid. Hence, the imposition of ESMA was necessitated,” he stated.

Reports from different districts indicated that the strike call by the HCMS Association evoked a mixed response in the state. The OPD services remained paralysed at many state-run hospitals, though the doctors performed the emergency, post-mortem and Covid-care services.

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

The HCMS Association has threatened a total shutdown of all services, including emergency, Covid and post-mortem, with effect from January 14. “We will go ahead with our plan to observe indefinite strike if our demands are not met and are ready to face the consequences,” said Dr Jasbir Panwar, president of the association.

Hisar: The OPD services remained adversely affected at the Civil Hospital in Hisar as the medical officers remained on strike on the call of the HCMS Association.

Nonetheless, the Hisar Civil Surgeon, Dr Ratna Bharti, took charge of the OPD services and attended the patients herself. Nearly 2,000 patients visit the OPDs at the Civil Hospital in Hisar per day.

HCMS Association, Dr Rajiv Dabla district chief said they had been discussing their concerns with the state authorities, but to no avail.

Ambala: The call of strike given by the HCMS Association did not get much response in Ambala and the doctors were seen attending their OPDs.

The district president of the association, Dr Mukesh, said: “The call was not much successful here in Ambala as the doctors did not participate in the strike. The association cannot force the doctors to participate in the strike.”

Civil Surgeon Dr Kuldeep Singh said: “The OPD services were not affected in Ambala district. Except for the 30 doctors who were tested positive and a few others who were already on leave, the remaining staff was on duty.”

Karnal: On the call of the HCMS Association, the doctors at the government hospitals in the district remained on mass casual leave, which affected the OPD services in the district. Only emergency and post-mortem duties and Covid vaccination services were discharged. Many patients had to go to private hospitals due to the strike.

Dr Sandeep Abrol, district president, HCMS Association, said the government should consider their demands positively as they had been seeking the creation of the specialist cadre with financial incentive, as well as 40 per cent reservation in postgraduation courses for in-service candidates. “Specialists should not be recruited as SMOs by giving them administrative work. They should be part of the specialist cadre instead,” he added.

Plan to obstruct fight against Covid

The move has been taken in view of a group of doctors striking work to obstruct the fight against Covid. Their demands have been approved and being met, but they still went on a strike. — Anil Vij, Health and Home minister

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