Allowance cut: Doctors on strike today in Punjab, OPDs set to take hit

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 24

Key services, including healthcare, animal husbandry and Ayurveda, are likely to be crippled on June 25 following government doctors’ strike against the 6th Pay Commission recommendations on de-linking non-practicing allowance (NPA) from the basic pay.

The call for strike was given by the Joint Punjab Government Doctors Coordination Committee, which has members from the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association and is supported by the Punjab State Veterinary Officers Association, Punjab Medical Teachers Association, Rural Medical Officers Association, Punjab Dental Medical Officers Association and Punjab Ayurveda Officers Association.

The unions have conveyed to its units at the ground level not to attend OPD services for a day. Besides, webinars being organised by the government, meetings via video-conferencing and e-sanjeevani (online OPD services) will remain suspended.

The district units will visit the healthcare facilities and convey to the patients about “injustice” being done to doctors by the government, said Dr Gagandeep Shergill, senior vice-president of the PCMS Association, Punjab.

Though indoor and emergency services would function as usual on Friday, the committee had warned that these could be suspended as well if the government did not reconsider the decision.

“If the government does not respond even after the strike, we will convey to patients that since doctors cannot render their services, they are being referred to hospitals outside Punjab,” said Dr Shergill.

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