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Government doctors plan mass resignation

BERHAMPUR: Government doctors of the State are planning to submit mass resignation to the State Government protesting against failure of the State Government to provide proper infrastructure, payment and other facilities to them despite promises.

Resignation drive has already started in different parts of the State. The doctors are sending their resignation letters to the Orissa Medical Services Association (OMSA) headquarter in Bhubaneswar. Dr K.K.Sarkar, the president of the Jeypore unit of the OMSA in Koraput district said thirty five members of their unit had already sent their resignation letters to the OMSA president.

The OMSA has called a State level meeting of its members on February 6. Speaking to The Hindu, State president of the OMSA Madhusudan Mishra said the members would decide the next course of action regarding the resignation letters. According to sources the doctors are going to give around one month’s time to the State Government to fulfil their demands before putting in their resignation.

According to Mr. Mishra there are around 3000 government doctors working in the State now while the sanctioned strength of doctors is 4259. These doctors are managing 30 district hospitals, 30 sub-divisional hospitals, around 1700 rural health units, RGH hospital, Rourkela, capital hospital, Bhubanesar, and the city hospitals in Cuttack and Berhampur. They are also posted in three government medical colleges in the State. The four crore population of the State needs around 10,000 doctors.

The doctors allege that due to lack of manpower they are over burdened and they are working in health units where there is dearth of infrastructure for patients as well as doctors. Mr. Mishra said the State Government had not yet thought anything for the betterment of human component of health sector in the State. He said the worst sufferers are the doctors posted in remote areas of KBK district. They were not provided proper incentives and infrastructure for staying at their work place.

Moreover even after serving more than five years in remote areas they rarely get a chance to get a transfer to their place of choice, although it is the norm, he said. The OMSA also protested against the continuing pay structure of government doctors which according to them they should get revised pay scale as some doctors on contract are now getting better pay than the regular appointees.

The association is also opposed to the plan of the State Government to increase the retirement age of doctors from 60 years to 62.

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