Patients suffer as docs’ protest enters Day 2

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 13

The protest by doctors against recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission today entered its second day.

The medical fraternity is protesting against the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for delinking of the non-practicing allowance (NPA) from the basic pay.

The OPD/In-house Patient Department and works related to Unique Disability Identification, Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana and elective surgeries remained suspended at the Civil Hospital here today.

Webinar, videoconferencing and online consultations were not held today. Only emergency services were provided to patients.

Dr Rohit Rampal from the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association said this was least expected from the state government when doctors were working beyond their capacity due to the pandemic situation. “What to talk about honouring us, instead, the government has slashed our existing salaries,” he said.

Meanwhile, veterinary services throughout the state and at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) hospital remained suspended in response to the protest call given by various state veterinary and medical associations.

The GADVASU Teachers’ Association (GADVASUTA) and the Punjab State Veterinary Officers’ Association held a sit-in protest at the GADVASU hospital today in which a large number of teachers from the university along with state veterinary Officers participated.

Teachers of GADVASU also boycotted the examinations, teaching and farm services. The teacher’s association expressed dismay over the state government’s move to reduce the NPA of veterinarians, medicos and allied professionals from 25 to 20 per cent along with delinking it from basic pay structure.

Dr Ashwani Kumar, GADVASUTA president, said veterinarians were serving the poorest of poor livestock farmers and were directly working for the uplift of rural economy and the government’s move to delink the NPA to be a part of salary for calculation of other allowances and post-retirement pensionary benefits was highly condemnable.

“Keeping in view the proactive role of veterinarians during the ongoing pandemic, which involve selfless rendering of services without caring for one’s own life, this disheartening move of the government is a cruel joke and exposes anti-farmer, anti-rural and anti-employee mindset of the state government,” he said. Copies of the pay panel report were also burnt by the protesters.

Patients have been suffering due to the strike and medical services were badly hit in the government sector.

Some patients who came to the hospital for the second consecutive day had to return due to the strike.

“I didn’t knew that doctors will be on strike today also. Yesterday, I returned as there were no services and today when I came, I was told that doctors were on strike today also. When I asked about tomorrow, I came to know that tomorrow also the OPD will be closed. I fail to understand how can the government allow the doctors to strike as it is an essential service,” said Shankar Parsad, a patient.

A pet owner had come from Sangrur to consult for his dog and upon reaching here he came to know that the doctors were on strike.

“I had come all the way from Sangrur and a big amount of petrol was consumed while travelling. I was aware that the doctors were on strike but I did not know that veterinarians too were holding protest,” said Dilpreet Singh.

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