The ongoing strike by doctors in Punjab’s government hospitals shows no signs of abating as no concrete agreement was reached between the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association and the State Government after hours-long meeting on Wednesday. Despite a crucial meeting held in Chandigarh, where discussions on resolving the deadlock took place, doctors remain adamant on continuing their protest due to a lack of written assurances from the government.

PCMSA on Wednesday evening announced the decision to shut down OPD services in all government hospitals on Thursday.

The meeting between Punjab doctors and the cabinet sub-committee, which began at 9:30 am and continued until noon, was presided over by the state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who is the chairperson of the Cabinet Subcommittee. Also in attendance were Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh and Governance Reforms Minister Aman Arora. During the talks, the government verbally agreed to address most of the key demands, but the lack of formal commitments left the doctors unsatisfied.

At the heart of the doctors’ concerns is the shortage of medical professionals in the state’s hospitals. The PCMS Association has been demanding an immediate recruitment drive to fill vacant positions, citing the heavy workload and long hours imposed on the existing staff. Additionally, they have raised serious concerns about the safety of medical personnel, calling for the installation of CCTV cameras and the deployment of security personnel in hospitals.

While the government has verbally agreed to many of these demands, including salary hikes and improved safety measures, doctors remain firm in their decision to strike until these assurances are provided in writing. “We cannot rely on verbal promises,” said PCMS Association president Akhil Sareen, emphasizing that the doctors will only return to work once their concerns are officially documented.

To address these issues, the government has announced plans to recruit approximately 1,900 medical officers. A process for hiring 400 of these positions has already begun, and additional notifications will be issued later this year to fill the remaining vacancies. However, these steps have not been sufficient to halt the strike. The doctors are demanding immediate action, particularly concerning hospital security, which they see as critical to their working environment.

The strike, which has been ongoing for the past three days, has severely impacted medical services across the state. Outpatient departments (OPDs) have been shut down for three hours, between 8 am and 11 am daily, leaving patients in dire straits. Many surgeries have been postponed, and the situation is expected to worsen as the strike intensifies. The PCMS Association has already announced a full-day strike for September 12, further exacerbating the challenges faced by patients and hospitals alike.

Despite the meeting's generally positive tone, the lack of formal assurances means the standoff is far from over. As the doctors prepare to continue their protest, the government must now decide whether to meet their demands in writing or face a prolonged disruption in the state's healthcare services.

Only a day before, the Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh took a slew of decisive steps to bolster the security of healthcare professionals. In a high-level meeting with Deputy Commissioners, Commissioners of Police, Senior Superintendents of Police, and Civil Surgeons of all districts via video conference on Tuesday, Dr Balbir had announced a zero-tolerance policy towards violence against medical staff, with stringent measures being put in place across all districts.

Among the key decisions were the formation of District Health Boards, enhanced security protocols, and strict implementation of the Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Act, 2008. The government also ordered the installation of CCTV cameras, deployment of home guards, and linking healthcare facilities with the nearest police stations for rapid response during emergencies.

Additionally, it was also decided to establish Internal Committees for Sexual Harassment in every hospital to ensure a safe work environment. These decisions come as a part of the government’s efforts to address the grievances of doctors, who have been demanding better security measures in the wake of rising incidents of violence against medical professionals, especially following the recent incident in Kolkata, where a doctor was raped and murdered,.

“Any violence against healthcare workers would not be tolerated at any cost, and strict action would be taken against offenders,” the Minister had said.