Government doctors seek speedy promotion, salary hike

The Joint Action Committee of all Government Doctors’ Association (JACGDA) that organised the protest rally today warned of intensifying the protests, including a total strike on September 21. According to JACGDA, doctors of all government-run hospitals, medical colleges and Primary Health Centres were extended only a diluted version of the original recommendation on DACP for doctors. 

Protesting this, the association organised a massive march on Wednesday towards secretariat as part of their month-long non-cooperative agitations.

The package for doctors was recommended by the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions, pointed out association chairman Dr K Senthil. “Since it was not being given, we agitated during the last Pay Commission.

It was then that the government started giving us DACP. However, what we are being given is very diluted,” he alleged.

The package would include speeding up of promotions in the appropriate scale. “At the moment, we are getting delayed promotions with a lesser scale of pay. [Rectifying it] is our single point demand and hence took up this monthlong agitation,” he added.

The doctors are staging various non-cooperative agitations, including absenteeism from official meetings, not taking classes for students and resolving to boycott all Medical Council of India instructions. The association is also planning to go on a total strike on September 21.

“It might affect patient care. However, we will take care of emergencies and life-saving calls, and have formed emergency teams to take up the cases,” added Dr Senthil.