6th Pay Commission: Services at Ludhiana Civil Hospital hit as doctors protest

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 28

Under the banner of the Joint Punjab Government Doctors’ Coordination Committee, all outpatient department/in-house patient department services and works related to unique disability identification and Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana and elective surgeries remained suspended at the Civil Hospital today as doctors have been protesting against the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for delinking of the non-practicing allowance (NPA) from the basic pay.

• Also read: 6th Pay Commission: Vets urge Punjab CM to accept doctors’ demands

Ayurvedic, veterniary, dental and rural medical Officers’ associations, lead by Dr Kulwant singh, president, PCMSA Civil Hospital, here, were among those who participated in the protest.

“Initially, the NPA at 25 per cent was the part of pay for the calculation of all allowances. Now, with the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission, it has been delinked from pay and reduced to 20 per cent which means it has been fixed now and no other allowances will be calculated on the NPA.

It will remarkably effect the net salary of all government doctors being allopathic, ayurvedic, homeopathic or veterinary,” said Dr Rohit Rampal from the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association.

Meanwhile, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) teachers also joined the protest on the university campus against the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission during a protest call given by various Punjab veterinary and medical associations.

During the demonstration, teachers argued that the reduction of the NPA shows the anti-employee mindset of the present government. The GADVASU Teachers’ Association expressed dismay over the state government’s move to reduce the NPA of veterinarians, medicos and other doctors along with delinking it from basic pay structure.

They took a strong note of the government’s move to reduce existing NPA from 25 per cent to 20 per cent. Furthermore, the government delinked the NPA to be a part of salary for calculation of other allowances and post retirement pensionary benefits.

They argued that in spite of honouring the doctors for working hard during the Covid pandemic, the government has played a cruel joke by reducing their allowances. Veterinary clinicians serve the poorest of poor in society and reducing their pay show anti-poor nature of the government. The government must not forget that professionals in veterinary field were granted the NPA due to their late entry to the service owing to extended period of studies as compared to non-medical professionals.

There is a strong resentment in veterinary faculty and the veterinary fraternity throughout the state is gearing up for a state-level protest.

Patients at receiving end

Amid the strike by the doctors, it were patients who were at the receiving end and had to return to their homes without consultation from doctors. Suraj Kumar had come for getting his disability certificate but had to return without the same. “I need it urgently but upon reaching here I came to know that doctors were on strike,” he said. Another patient from Basti Jodhewal said earlier he came on Friday and doctors were on strike and today also the doctors are on strike. “Where should patients go,” he questioned. “I cannot afford to go to a private doctor as the consultation fees is high but with doctors of the Civil Hospital on strike there is no other option left but to shell out extra money at private hospitals,” he said.

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