Citing delay in implementation of recruitment rules by over half decade three fourth doctors of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) resigned from their services. The hospital working would surely paralyse if the resignations of these doctors of the super specialty hospital meant for gas victims are accepted.
The doctors tendered their resignations soon after calling department of health research (DHR) joint secretary Manoj Pant on Monday as he was non-committal over a fixed date for implementation of recruitment rules.
The BMHRC employees are waiting since over six years for the implementation of recruitment rules at the super specialty institute. Things at BMHRC that is already short of super specialists would further worsen if these doctors do not roll back their resignations as except for blood bank, anesthesia, oncology department, 14 other departments at 350-bed hospital will go without a specialist.
BMHRC Doctors’ Welfare Association representative said, “We have tendered our resignations. Only if BMHRC and DHR officials meet our six years old demand for implementation of recruitment rules within 30 days, we will reconsider our decision.”
Since handing over of BMHRC to the Union government in 2010, recruitment rules that determine classification of post, pay structure, method of recruitment among others have been awaited. It was second time this year that doctors association threatened a strike.
“They (doctors) are concerned with recruitment rules that are not yet finalised. It is in the final stages of implementation. We are aggressively pursuing it,” said Pant not commenting on a timeline.
Earlier on April 11, BMHRC Doctors’ Welfare Association refrained from going on a strike, after written assurance from DHR secretary Dr Soumya Swaminathan on implementation of recruitment rules in three months.
When contacted Dr Swaminathan was unaware of the developments at BMHRC, that could possibly lead to closure one of the best government hospitals in central India.
Doctors who set the ultimatum to DHR include Dr Vivek Tripathi (Cardiology), Dr Yogesh Nivara, Dr Sanjeev Gupta (CTVS), Dr Hemlata Yadav, Dr Anjali Sharma (Ophthalmology), Dr Supreet Kaur, Dr H Gulwani (Pathology), Dr Shariq Khan (Urology), Dr Sarika, Dr Saifullah (Anaesthesia), Dr Mahesh Rathore, Dr lalit Kumar (Pulmonary), Dr Sandeep Sorte , Dr Rahul Vaid and Dr Malika Sinha (Neurosurgery).