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Government doctors to strike work in Bihar

Patna: Functioning of Government hospitals across Bihar will come to a standstill for two days from February 7 as 4200 Government doctors at the call of Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA) to protest the State Government’s failure to meet its long pending demands.

“We will not spare even emergency services and conducting of post-mortem during our two-day token strike,_ said Dineshwar Singh, general secretary and Ajay Kumar convenor of the association, where the decision for the strike was taken on Sunday.

The two leaders said BSHSA would resort to an indefinite state-wide strike from February 21 if the Government failed to meet the demands of the agitating doctors, particularly those posted in remote areas and are forced to work in the absence of facilities. The doctors of the State are agitating for Central pay, specialist cadre, restoration of health directorate’s power, perks and allowances at par with Central Government doctors.

Association spokesman Ranjit Kumar said on Sunday that the entire health delivery system would be paralysed during the two-day token strike as all civil surgeons, regional directors and medical officers of the health directorate would be on strike.

The BSHSA convenor said despite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s assurance and the intervention of Patna High Court, the government failed to meet the decade-long demands of the association.

A division bench of the High Court after hearing a set of PILs filed by Chandra Prakash and Indian Medical Association and affidavits filed by the State Government and BSHSA had directed the Government doctors on December 4 not to proceed on strike as their demands were under active consideration of the State Government.

BSHSA had given a call for indefinite strike from December 5 last year but had withdrawn it following the direction.

Medical teachers of six medical colleges though extending moral support to BSHSA have, however, decided against joining the stir.

Bihar State Medical Teachers Association general secretary Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said, “We extend our moral support to the strike as demands for Central pay scale and other facilities are genuine. The teachers of the medical colleges cannot join the stir as it will affect the ailing people.” -- PTI

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Government doctors to strike work in Bihar

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