The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Junior doctors go on indefinite strike

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Thursday, Mar 20, 2008
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Junior doctors go on indefinite strike

Correspondent

CUTTACK: Even as government doctors across the State postponed their strike by two months, junior doctors of the three Government hospitals launched indefinite strike on Wednesday demanding better remuneration.

Around 550 junior doctors of SCB, MKCG and VSS Medical Colleges and Hospitals of Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla stopped work and took out rallies on their respective hospital premises. In view of the strike by junior doctors, the authorities of SCB Medical College and hospital here have taken several measures to overcome the crisis and to see that the functioning of the hospital is not affected. “We have asked all doctors of the hospital to remain present at headquarters and no leave would be sanctioned during the crisis period,” said hospital superintendent Trilochan Sahu. Reports indicated that similar arrangements have been made in the Berhampur and Burla hospitals.

The junior doctors, who are currently paid 67, 73 and 79 per cent of the basic salary of an assistant surgeon during their first, second and third year of PG course respectively are demanding 100 per cent basic salary of an assistant surgeon in first year with one increment in second year and two increments in third year.

“We submitted a memorandum to this effect to the State government a month ago and on March 13 we made it clear that if our demands were not conceded by March 18 we would strike work from the next day,” said Cuttack hospital Junior Doctors’ Association president Paresh Behera.

They claimed that while their counterparts in Jharkhand get Rs. 16,000, Bihar (Rs. 13,000) and Uttar Pradesh (Rs. 17,000) per month in the first year, the junior doctors in Orissa get Rs. 8,819 in the first year, Rs. 9,609 in the second year and Rs 10,398 in third year. The Orissa junior doctors also demanded an additional Rs. 10,000 as thesis work allowance as is being given in other States.

Bhubaneswar Staff Reporter adds:

Meanwhile, the Orissa Nursing Employees Association threatened to go on an indefinite mass leave from March 27 if the government did not respond to their 10-point charter of demands.

Similarly, Ayurvedic and Homeopathy doctors of government hospitals too demanded that they should be treated on a par with allopathic doctors and warned of stir if their demands are not conceded. To make matters worse, contract male health workers, who number 1,450, too declared to go on mass leave in due course of their agitation.

Demo staged

Nurses who staged a demonstration in front of the Assembly said the anomalies in cadre and salary structures should be immediately removed. ONEA joint secretary Pratima Samantray articulated their demands. “In the remote KBK region where government doctors are eligible for special allowance up to Rs. 8,000, staff nurses are sent to those areas without any incentives,” she said.

The ONEA leader said nurses were also facing infrastructure bottlenecks such as housing in remote areas.

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