Ukhrul District Hospital wore deserted looks as striking doctors were neither attending OPD patients nor admitting new patients to the hospital
TFM Ukhrul Correspondent
Even though striking doctors in Ukhrul district resumed emergency services on Wednesday, Ukhrul District Hospital wore deserted looks as they were neither attending to OPD patients nor admitting new patients to the hospital.
The doctors have been in protest since 14 February 2023 in support of All Manipur Health Services Doctors’ Association (AMHSDA)’s charter of demands for their common welfare. As part of protest, they shut down all health services, including emergency, in the district indefinitely and withheld All National Health Mission services.
Softening their stand, they decided to resume the emergency services on Wednesday. However, District Hospital Ukhrul is not admitting any new patients and closing all health services except emergency until further order.
The aggrieved doctors expressed that they are compelled to take up these extreme steps to show their solidarity to AMHSDA’s demands and also to express strong resentment as the state government fails to redress their impending grievances.
The protesting doctors’ demands have been narrowed down from eight to four demands. “Our demand is very genuine, but instead, the government has remained indifferent and threatened with dire action. The authority has not even opened a room to negotiate and settle the issue,” stated one protesting doctor.
Their demands are time-bound promotion, enhancement of superannuation age to 65 years as declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, creation of Director General post and under: a) Director Health Services b) Director Family Welfare Services c) Director Public Health d) Director Medical Education, NPA fixation with effect from 01/01/2016 as per 7th Central Pay Commission. Abide strictly the Transfer and Posting Policy of Health Services 2017, any MHS Doctors be eligible to the highest post by virtue of their seniority, Implementation of proposed MHS Rules 2020 and Amendments and provision of risks and difficult area posting allowances.
The protesting doctors stated that their demand for time-bound promotion, enhancement of superannuation age to 65 years, NPA fixation with effect from 01/01/2016 as per 7th Central Pay Commission and implementation of proposed MHS Rules 2020 can be fulfilled by the State Government. Implementation of the proposed MHS Rules 2020 will surely meet the crunch posting of doctors in the hill areas. Doctors are demoralised by the indifferent attitude of the government. In spite of their hard work, the concerned authority has not paid any attention, they added.
Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul Krishna Kumar, SDO Ukhrul, Maibam Suranjoy and Additional Superintendent of Police (Ops) Syed Samir Ahamad also visited the spot and interacted with agitating doctors to establish the ground situation.