Himachal: Restoration of NPA to new doctors sought

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NURPUR, FEBRUARY 4

The HP Medical Officers Association (HPMOA) has appealed to the state government to fulfil its commitment of restoring the Non-Practising Allowance (NPA) to new doctors being recruited by the Health Department.

Strike called off on CM’s assurance

The doctors had called off their strike on June 3 last year after a meeting with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The Chief Minister had assured us that our demands would be fulfilled within the next six months. — Dr Vikas Thakur, General Secretary, HP Medical officers association

Dr Vikas Thakur, state general secretary of the association, while presiding over the general house meeting of the Kangra district unit of the HPMOA here today, said that the doctors had gone on a pen-down strike in May and June last year in support of their longstanding demands. However, the strike was called off after a meeting with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on June 3 last year. The Chief Minister had assured them that their demands would be fulfilled within the next six months.

He lamented that no department notification had been issued so far ands the NPA had been denied to the recently recruited specialist doctors.

Dr Thakur criticised the government notification issued on August 3 last year in which the salary of the specialist doctors had been reduced from Rs 40,392 to Rs 33,660. He said that the state was already reeling under a shortage of specialist doctors and when their their salary had been reduced, they would be forced to move to other states or shift to private hospitals.

The HPMOA also criticised the extension of service given to Chief Medical Officers after their retirement. It demanded filling of vacant posts of Director,

Deputy Director and block medical officers in the Health Department. It also demanded promotion under the 4-9-14 service scheme.

Dr Thakur said that the doctors had been wearing black badges for the past 17 days in protest against the state government for not fulfilling their long-standing demands.