Doctors to stage relay hunger strike today
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, November 25 2022: All Manipur Health Services Doctors' Association (AMHSDA) has announced that it will go ahead with its agitation plan from Saturday with relay hunger strike followed by mass casual leave.

According to AMHSDA general secretary Dr Lolee P Mao, the decision to intensify the agitation was arrived at during an emergency general body meeting ofthe association held on November 22 at Adimjati complex.

Talking to media persons at District Hospital, Senapati, Dr Lolee categorically stated that doctors under AMHSDA are not happy with the attitude of the present government.

He alleged that the present government has been wilfully delaying fulfilment of the demands first raised by the association around two years back.

Dr Lolee recounted that a delegation of the association had held talk with the government headed by additional chief secretary (health) and director (health) on November 14 but the government side called for further negotiation while undermining the need to fulfil the eight demands of the association.

Some of the association's demands include time bound promotion, extending of superannuation age to 65 years for both specialists and non-specialists as declared by the Prime Minister in 2016, NPA as per Central 7th Pay Commission w.e.f.1st January of 2016 and major amendment to the MHS Rules.

The MHS Rule made in 1982 is outdated now and there is no major amendment since then, he pointed out, while adding that many doctors are facing problems due to lack of proper systematic service rule.

Dr Lolee P Mao further said that a government team led by health minister and additional chief secretary and AMHSDA executives and working committee had a lengthy discussion on November 18 during the government side appealed to the association to postpone the proposed closure of OPD in view of Sangai festival while assuring of solving the matter at the earliest.

During the meeting, the association urged the government to do the needful within the month of November but nothing has been done till date.

In view of the importance of the ongoing Sangai Festival, the association called off the proposed agitation.

However, an-emergency general body meeting of the association was held on November 22 after the home department termed the association's demands as unreasonable and illegal.

The general body meeting then resolved for resumption of the agitation with immediate effect, he explained.

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