The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Doctors reach accord; call off strike

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Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Doctors reach accord; call off strike

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Government doctors in the State commenced an indefinite strike on Monday seeking payscales on a par with their colleagues in the Central Government but called it off late in the night after their leaders reached an understanding on the demands with Finance Minister K. Rosaiah.

The strike throughout the day, however, affected medical services in all government hospitals, including primary health centres, leading to a few deaths at some hospitals due to the lack of medical attention.

Details of accord

The understanding was reached during the second round of talks held late in the night by Mr Rosaiah at his residence with the Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors Association (APGDA) leaders. It provided for payment of ‘emergency health care allowance’ of Rs. 3,000 additionally every month to all non-teaching doctors in the State, including those working in PHCs, and a special amount of Rs. 1,500 per month in addition to doctors with a PG degree and Rs. 1,000 per month for PG diploma holders.

The Minister also promised that time-bound promotions would be allowed to doctors after completion of eight years of service and pay anomalies that would be rectified soon. The APGDA also extracted promises from him not to accord semi-autonomy status to medical colleges in the State except in the case of those set up in Kadapa, Srikakulam and Ongole.

The first round of talks at the Secretariat earlier, which were attended by P.K. Agarwal, Principal Secretary, Health, and LV. Subramaniam, Secretary, who headed the official committee appointed by the Government to go into the payscale issue, was inconclusive but it established proper ground for the next round of talks.

Consultation

Then, Mr. Rosaiah told the APGDA leaders headed by its president, Putta Srinivas, that the official committee indeed had recommended a pay hike for doctors but sought time to take a decision in consultation with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Citing the positive recommendations made by the committee, the Minister appealed to the APGDA to call off the strike and the later promised to consider the request at their executive meeting and come back to him for second round of talks .

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Andhra Pradesh