Upset over cancellation of appointments, dozens of affected doctors on Monday staged a protest in front of Health Minister’s residence and raised slogans against him.
A counselling session was held at Kalibadi Health Centre on January 20 to recruit more than 600 Ayurvedic and Homeopathic doctors under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). In addition to this, around 600 pharmacists and health workers were also sought by the Government. According to the doctors present during the counselling, applicants in the first round were given postings as per their preference and by the time the second round started, the postings were given only in the rural, interior and Naxal-infested areas. This had generated negative reaction from the doctors.
A few days later, an official statement was issued by the Mission Director stating that all the appointments made on January 20 have been cancelled. Upset over this move, the affected doctors assembled at NRHM office at lIC Bhawan, Pandri and protested against the move. When they were not allowed to speak to any officer, the doctors vandalised the office and staged protest at other offices.
On Monday afternoon, the doctors gathered in front of Health Minister Amar Agrawal’s residence at Shankar Nagar and shouted slogans. The police present on the spot tried to control their towering anger but the doctors continued shouting slogans. They demanded that the cancellation order of appointments must be nullified and the postings must not be changed.
Dr Rajesh Patel, Dr Shiv Santosh Singh, Dr Sandeep Sahu, Dr Rakesh Mishra and several other doctors who were protested in front of the Minister’s residence said that they had made adjustments at their respective offices to attend the counselling. “But only 10 hours after our counselling and postings, a cancellation order was issued. We want a rollback from the Government,” said Dr Rakesh Mishra.
The doctors have warned that if fresh applications are sought for the posts, they would intensify their agitation and boycott any recruitment drive. They said the cancellation order has caused them loss of time and money. The group of doctors submitted a memorandum addressing the Minister.