Doctors' protests held in Kullu

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Kullu, February 10

Doctors struck work at the Regional Hospital here for two hours on Thursday. They said that they would continue with their strike from 9.30 am to 11.30 am everyday till February 17. However, they would continue to provide emergency services.

The doctors held a gate meeting and expressed anguish over the government’s apathy towards their demands despite repeated requests. Dr Ashish said that the pay scale discrepancies had emerged in the state and the union stands with the united front on four major points. He added that the higher pay scale of doctors in Punjab is Rs 2.37 lakh while in Himachal,

it had been fixed at Rs 2.18 lakh. The basic pay was increased less in 2015 and as a result the doctors were being paid about Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 less. The government should review its decision.

Dr Reema Ghai said that the government should restore the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) Scheme, which it stopped after January 3. She added that time-scale promotion for physicians should not be discontinued.

She said that the doctors working on contract should be given the minimum basic pay and it should not be fixed at 60 per cent of the basic pay. She added that the non-practising allowance (NPA) should be paid at the rate of 25 per cent of the basic pay and its maximum limit should be fixed on the Punjab pattern.

The protesting doctors said that the postgraduate allowance should be increased from Rs 7,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. They demanded an increase in the education allowance on the pattern of teachers working in state medical colleges. The PG allowance and the education allowance should be linked to the CPI and increased from time to time.