The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Doctors go on relay hunger strike

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Tuesday, Mar 25, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Doctors go on relay hunger strike

Staff Reporter

Seek salaries on a par with CGHS scales for non-teaching doctors

HYDERABAD: Senior doctors from Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors Association on Monday kicked off a relay hunger strike inside the premises of Directorate of Health demanding salaries on a par with the Central Government Health Scheme scales for non-teaching doctors.

Close on heels of the Central Pay Commission’s recommendations, the strike seeks to throw focus on the problems associated with low pay to government doctors.

Uniform pay

“Uniformity of pay structure for all doctors across the country will ensure better health care for the poor and deprived,” said M.S.R.K. Prasad, APGDA president, who sat in the hunger strike along with secretary general D. Ranganath, central executive members Ramesh Reddy and P. Srinivas, regional secretary Neelakantheswar Rao and former president of Kadapa wing Munisekharam.

Drawing attention to the scheduled pay structures at the proposed semi-autonomous medical institutes at Srikakulam, Ongole and Adilabad, Dr. Prasad sought to question the rationality in not applying the same pay for doctors working in Primary Health Centres of rural areas.

“An agreement was reached in the past towards University Grants Commission scales for teaching and CGHS scales for non-teaching staff. Only the former was implemented.

The recommendations of various committees went unheeded,” complained Dr. Prasad.

Another demand was not to appoint retired superintendents in the administrative posts.

The hunger strike will continue till Saturday after which further action will be decided.

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