After the allopathic doctors the Ayurveda doctors of State health services are now up in arms in support of their demands. As a mark of protest these doctors are wearing black arm bands and have declared that they would start a hunger strike at State health directorate from November 22 if the State Government does not accept their demand of implementation of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) and Non Practice Pay (NPP).
The State president of the association of the Government Ayurveda and Yunani Medical Service, Dr KS Napalchyal said that the demands of the association are pending for a long time. He said that the Ayurveda doctors of central health services are receiving the benefit of DACP and NPP like allopathic doctors and many states also follow this practice but in Uttarakhand the disparity remains due to which there is resentment among such doctors. He said that apart from allopathic doctors the veterinary doctors of State health service get these benefits but Ayurveda doctors are given mere assurances by the state government. Dr Napalchyal informed that the doctors would sit on a relay hunger strike from November 22. Senior Ayurveda doctor, Dr J N Nautiyal said that the health centres in the remote and mountainous areas of the state are manned mostly by the Ayurveda doctors so the government should understand the problems of these doctors. There are 700 Ayurveda doctors in the state health services. Other demands of these doctors are restructuring of the cadre, departmental promotions and benefit of ACP.
It is worth mentioning here that the State Government extended the benefit of DACP to the allopathic doctors this year triggering discontent among the practitioners of Ayurvedic system of medication. Incidentally the allopathic doctors are also not satisfied with the provisions of DACP as a clause of essential minimum service in the mountainous area is added in it. The doctors want one time exemption in the clause and had threatened to go on work boycott from November 15. The call was however postponed for ten days on the assurance of Director General (DG) Health Services.