Docs to go on strike today

The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has decided to go on an indefinite strike starting tomorrow and patients will feel the heat due to the move.

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Services to continue uninterrupted in phase I

• Emergency services
• Post-mortems
• Medicolegal examinations
• Court evidence
• Judicial medical examinations
• OOAT centres to dispense daily dose (stop dispensing take-home doses)

Dr Akhil Sareen, state president of the PCMSA, said it was decided that the association would observe total OPD closure from September 9 to 14. However, in view of the persistent insistence of the state government to moderate the call for a few days so that discussions can he held, the association has decided three phases for the strike.

In phase I, which will be from September 9 to 11, suspension of OPDs will be for the first half, 8 am to 11 am. There will be no elective surgeries, only caesarean sections (both elective and emergency) and life-saving surgeries will be performed. Only Emergency trauma will be available.

Meanwhile, phase 2 will be from September 12 to 15 and and phase 3 from September 16 onwards.

Doctors have decided to boycott driving licence, arms licence, general medical and recruitment-related medical examinations, UDID work, VIP/VVIP duties, dope tests, reporting (only dengue-related reporting to be done), meetings, enquiries and Kaya Kalp assessments.

Unresolved issues of doctors include stalled Assured Career Progression Scheme, pending 6th CPC arrears, security at workplace, among other demands.

Government health institutes in the state are working at half the capacity. Besides seeing patients, doctors are loaded with other works such as VIP duties, emergency duties, autopsies and medicolegal cases. There are 4,600 sanctioned posts of doctor in the state, of which 2,800 are lying vacant.