Demanding equal salary for equal work for the pharmacists and an action plan for promotion, Odisha Pharmacists’ Association (OPA) general secretary Sudhansu Sekhar Pati warned that all medicine stores in the Government hospitals would be shut down from mid of June, if no action was taken by the Government.
Addressing a Press conference here on Friday, Pati said the anomalies in salary and grade pay of the pharmacists should be rectified according to the sixth pay commission. The State Government had taken a decision to place the proposals before the fitment and anomaly committee. But no concrete decision could be taken as yet.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had held a high level meeting in 2010 and provided promotion to the pharmacists according to the IPHS guide lines. Accordingly, many pharmacists were posted in different PHCs, three medical colleges and the Capital Hospital, etc in the post of chief pharmacists. The Health Minister had also recommended for rectification of anomalies in the salary of the pharmacists.