The resentment is again brewing among the doctors of state health services on the issue of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme. The doctors are restless as the three member committee appointed by the Chief Minister, Harish Rawat to sort out the issues with the doctors has not held even a single meeting. The association of doctors, Provincial Medical Health Services (PMHS), has called an emergency meeting of its working committee on Tuesday at Doon hospital to discuss future course of action on the issue.
The spokesperson of the PMHS, Dr Anand Shukla told The Pioneer that it appears that the government is intent on prolonging the issue of across the board implementation of DACP. He said that during deliberations on DACP, CM had categorically told that three member committee of Principal Secretary Health, Secretary Finance and Director General (DG), health services should held discussions with three member team of PMHS and finalize the draft.
Dr Shukla said that the committee appointed by the government has not cared to hold talks with PMHS once even though the ten day time frame for the purpose has lapsed. The PMHS is apprehensive that top bureaucrats of the state would do their best to either water down the provisions of DACP or ensure cuts in other allowances of doctors. It is learnt that the specialist doctors are fearing that the government could discontinue the extra increments (03, 05 and 07) it gives to doctors with additional qualification if it implements DACP in totality.
The demand of DACP of the doctors of the state health services is an old one. The DACP entails benefit of assured increase in grade pays of doctors after 4,9,13 and 20 years of services, irrespective of the fact whether or not they get promotions. The state government implemented the scheme last year albeit a rider that the scheme would be given to only those doctors who are appointed after the year 2015. This infuriated the old doctors who under the banner of PMHS held a work boycott from February 01 this year which paralyzed the state health services. The doctors took back their agitation after the assurance of Chief Minister that the scheme would implemented from April 1.