Tamil Nadu: Doctor associations express displeasure over DME's statements regarding delay GO 354 implementation
DME had stated that the GO 354 could not be implemented in the State because of conflict among the association as some of them were not in favour of implementing the same
Directorate of Medical Education
CHENNAI: Government doctors have expressed displeasure over the statement issued by the Director of Medical Education claiming that financial compensation of Rs 1 crore was awarded to the family of late Dr Lakshmi Narasimhan, who passed away due to a heart attack while in service, apart from claiming of extending a job for his kin. Objecting to the claims, the doctors demanded the implementation of GO 354, brought in by the late CM Karunanidhi in 2009, for the welfare of government medics.
The Government All Doctors Association (GADA) refuted the claims of the DME that the GO 354 has not been implemented due to conflict between doctors' associations and urged him to issue a public statement regarding the same. The association termed the statement of DME as completely false and baseless. It stated that the compensation had not been disbursed to the doctor’s family. The government has also not given a job to his heirs on compassionate grounds.
“GADA totally refutes all his claims and demands him to revert his statements in a public forum. The family of Dr Lakshmi Narasimhan never requested either DCF money or jobs on compassionate grounds for them. It is not correct for the Director of Medical Education to issue such false statements at this juncture without verification, causing unnecessary confusion and precipitating an unwanted crisis,” a statement from GADA shared by Dr C Sundaresan, president of GADA.
DME had stated that GO 354 could not be implemented in the State because of conflict among the association, as some of them were not in favour of implementing the same. However, government doctors associations have stated that all associations of government doctors had given a joint signed representation demanding the 354 GO’s review and 293 GO’s modification. The government has fulfilled the modification of GO 293 while it assured a review of 354. However, issuing pay band compression is still pending, they alleged.
Dr S Perumal Pillai, president of the Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors said that it is shocking to hear the statements by DME who mentioned that no heir of Dr Lakshmi Narasimhan came forward to take the job while it was offered by the government. “No compensation was paid or job was offered to their family. Additionally, the government doctors have repeatedly requested to implement GO 354 and the same was promised by Chief Minister MK Stalin when he was the Leader of the Opposition when the government doctors protested regarding the same during the previous regime.”
GADA also said that the statement of DME has caused mental trauma to the family of Dr Lakshmi Narasimhan. His family should be issued a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a government job to his heir. They also demanded DME issue a public statement as to which government doctors' association has disagreed to grant pay band compression to in-service medical officers.
