Resentment is brewing among the Ayurvedic doctors of the Uttarakhand health services over the State Government’s proposal to extend benefit of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme to allopathic doctors only. Succumbing to the long standing demand of the Provincial Medical Health Service (PMHS) the State Cabinet had recently approved the DACP for the allopathic doctors from this year. The implementation of the DACP means that allopathic doctors would get the benefit of assured increase in the grade pay of the doctors after 4, 9, 13 and 20 years of the service irrespective of whether they get promotions or not.
The State Government’s decision has however irked doctors belonging to other form of medicinal system. The President of Ayurveda Yunani Chikitsa Sewa Sangh (AYCSA) Dr SC Chokiyal told The Pioneer that the State Government’s decision of extending the benefit of DACP to only allopathic doctors is unfortunate. He said that the any discrimination on the basis of system of medications is not correct. Dr Chokiyal said that the Ayurveda doctors of the state are giving their services in the remote and mountainous areas of the State.
The health services of the state is facing an acute shortage of allopathic doctors, in such a scenario about 1200 medical officers of Ayurveda and Yunani are serving in all parts of the state. The president of AYCSA said that the Ayurveda and Yunani doctors are being deprived of Non Practice Allowance (NPA) also while the allopathic and even veterinary doctors are enjoying NPA.
He recalled that the BJP Government led by BC Khanduri discussed the proposal to extend NPA to Ayurveda and Yunani doctors but the department of finance objected on the plea that the veterinary doctors would also demand for it. The congress government cleared the NPA for veterinary doctors but left the Ayush doctors high and dry. Dr Chokiyal said that NPA is given by the central government, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and various other governments to the Ayurveda and Yunani doctors. He said that Uttarakhand is the only state in India which is giving the benefit of NPA to veterinary doctors.
