The crisis at Chhattisgarh’s biggest Government medical facility–Dr B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur deepened on Friday with the junior doctors rejecting the State government proposal of a hike of Rs 2500 in their monthly stipend.
A meeting of office-bearers of Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) representing 250 junior doctors with Principal Secretary, Health, Dr Alok Shukla had the former rejecting the proposal on hike in stipend. As a consequence, the junior doctors continued with their indefinite strike; thereby forcing the Government to initiate action against them.
Notices have already been pasted on the hostels asking the students to vacate their rooms which will be followed by further strict action. Dr Shukla made it clear that the Government will not increase the stipend as demanded by the junior doctors. Talking to reporters, the Principal Secretary said that the Government will consider all their demands except for the hike in stipend.
“A hike of Rs 2500 is all what the Government can offer to the junior doctors at this moment of time. They should accept the offer and return to their duties,” said Dr Shukla who hinted that the government was in no mood to give up on the demands of the junior doctors. Dr Shukla inspected the hospital along with Director, Medical Education Pratap Singh and took stock of the services. He then held a meeting with the senior doctors and issued directives to provide regular services at the hospital.
Dr Shukla claimed that the services at the hospital are least affected by the strike as doctors from different parts of the State have been roped in to deal with the situation. “There is no panic in the hospital and the situation is under control. We have sufficient doctors to provide treatment to the patients in the hospital,” said Dr Shukla. Meanwhile junior doctors continued with the indefinite strike despite notice served by the government to vacate the hostels.
“We hardly stay at the hostel as our maximum time is spent in the hospital performing duty. We are ready to move out of the hospitals but the government seems to have become insensitive while overlooking the problems of female doctors living in the hostels,” said President of Junior Doctors Association Dr Kunal Paul. Dr Paul said that the government has expressed its helplessness to increase the stipend according to our needs.
He said that stipend is not the sole demand of junior doctors. ‘Since we encounter the patients and their attendants while majority of responsibilities are shared by junior doctors we know what is needed most in the hospital. We have been demanding for proper staff and facilities for treatment of patients and canteen for attendants,” said Dr Paul. Junior doctors maintained that they would not call off the strike and continue unless the demands are met.