The Hindu : National : Government gets tough with medicos

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Wednesday, May 31, 2006

National

National

Government gets tough with medicos

Special Correspondent

Fresh recruitment of doctors to begin soon "The Prime Minister is disheartened at the attitude of the medical students and has directed that the services be maintained at all cost.''

NEW DELHI: The Centre will depute doctors from the Army and the Railways to maintain health services if the striking doctors do not report for work on Wednesday in the wake of the Supreme Court observation asking the medicos to end their agitation. It will also shortly begin fresh recruitment of medical professionals.

This decision was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Health Minister A. Ramadoss here on Tuesday soon after the apex court comments. "We do not intend invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act [ESMA] but we will take a lot of steps from Wednesday to maintain medical services," Mr. Ramadoss told reporters after the meeting.

"The Prime Minister is disheartened at the attitude of the medical students and has directed that the services be maintained at all cost,'' Mr. Ramadoss said, while adding that he was ready to talk to the students "anytime.''

The Minister said the fresh recruitments would not be ad hoc except those of the retired doctors who would be appointed on contract basis. "We have already issued memos to the striking doctors warning them of termination and decided to stop their salary for the time they are on strike. They can also count this period as break in service," he said.

Taking serious note of some faculty members, particularly at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), "supporting" the strike, he said an oral warning had been issued and if they did not desist, a written one would be given. "There are some political interests also but I do not want to comment on them," he said.

Doctors do have a right to express themselves but they cannot do it during duty hours, the Minister said.

The Prime Minister has met them twice and given them a personal assurance that their interests would be protected. Besides the Government has repeatedly appealed to them to resume duty."

On the proposed increase in the number of medical seats, Mr. Ramadoss said funds had been sanctioned for the six AIIMS-like institutions and these should be functional by 2008. "We have decided to enhance the retirement age of the faculty and can train the faculty at the Central health institutions before sending them to the new institutions," he said.

On the three-year MBBS courses being run in Chhattisgarh and Assam, the Minister said that if these were successful, the Government could think in terms of recognising them at the national level and utilising the services of these doctors in the rural areas.

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