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Government promises to look into doctors’ demands

BHUBANESWAR: In an attempt to avoid the impending crisis in the State-run health sector in the wake of one-month mass resignation notice by doctors, the government on Tuesday said it would look into the demands of physicians “with all seriousness” only after the budget session of the Assembly was over.

However, members of the Orissa Medical Services Association (OMSA) reiterated that they wanted an authoritative assurance in writing before March 18, when their one-month notice period would actually come to an end.

As per the resolution taken in OMSA’s extraordinary general body meeting held here on February 6, as many as 2,156 doctors engaged in government-run hospitals submitted their resignation letters to the association, which in turn passed them on to the Health Department on Monday.

Doctors resolved that if the government did not respond positively, the members who resigned would consider that their resignation letters were accepted and they would not attend to their duty from March 19.

“We have gone through various demands raised by the OMSA. Since the Assembly session is going on, the government cannot take a decision now.

We may have another round of discussion with doctors,” Minister of State for Health Sanatan Bisi said.

The Health Minister also said it was not possible on the part of the government to agree to all demands raised by the doctors.

“They have to give up some of their demands and we will approve the rest,” he said. Though OMSA expressed its satisfaction over the discussion, it said their resignation notices stand good.

“The government needs to take a decision during the vacation period of the ongoing Assembly session. Right now, we will stick to March 19 date. Deferring of the mass resignation decision can only be taken at the annual general body meeting of the OMSA,” association treasurer Bijay Kumar Swain said.

The OMSA resolved that the scale of pay of doctors should be fixed at Rs.12,000 to Rs. 16,500 at the entry level.

They were even seeking a specialist allowance of 30 per cent of the basic pay and pension after 25 years of service.

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