The patients in all the Government hospitals of the State faced problems on Monday due to the agitation of pharmacists. The pharmacists were on a half day leave as they took a march towards Secretariat in support of their demands. On the issues like cadre restructuring and transfers, the pharmacists working in the government hospitals are on a path of agitation for last many days under the banner of their association Diploma Pharmacists association (DPA).
With the work boycott call, the agitation would surly pinch the patients as the pharmacists are an important cog in the health machinery of the State. The health services in the remote and mountainous areas of the State are virtually run by the pharmacists in absence of medical officers. The president of District unit of DPA, DP Thapliyal informed that issue of cadre restructuring is pending since creation of the State.
He said the allotment of pharmacists in the hospitals is also not proper and needs immediate review besides this many pharmacists working in sub-centres are not transferred to other hospitals from many years. There are 1,260 posts of pharmacists in the State; the association is of the view that the due to increased work load the State Government should increase the posts of pharmacists in the health services.
The pharmacists are demanding that they should get inaccessible area allowance and chief Pharmacists should get patient care allowance like in Central Government. After the Secretariat March, the members of the association would undertake work boycott from May 18 and from June 1, the association plans to go on an indefinite strike.