Doctors' cease work strike completes 3rd day
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 23 2018:
The cease work strike of senior resident doctors of JNIMS who are demanding amendment of service rules so as to make them eligible for promotion has completed three days today.
The senior resident doctors launched their cease work strike by staging a sit-in-protest in front of the office of the Medical Superintendent on August 21.Even though the strike has affected normal functioning of the hospital including OPD, there has been no initiative from the part of JNIMS authority to settle the matter amicably, informed a source.
On the other hand.
JNIMS Director Prof Th Bhimo issued an office memorandum on August 21 asking all heads of departments to submit a list of the doctors who are on strike.
As such, JNIMS authority is likely to take up punitive action as per rules against doctors who are not discharging their duties.
In the meantime, there is a strong possibility of other doctors joining the cease work strike which would only complicate the matter, informed the source.
The senior resident doctors maintained that no DPCs should be held until the services rules are amended.
One senior resident doctor told this reporter that there are around 100 senior resident doctors at JNIMS.
Out of them 35 have completed PG courses and now fulfil the criteria for promotion to the post of Assistant Professor.
Although many of the regular senior resident doctors have completed 5 to 10 years at JNIMS, they are not entitled to any sort of promotion, said the source.
JNIMS service rules which were adopted on August 1, 2015 do not mention anything about promotion of senior resident doctors to Assistant Professors.
Yet, the service rules lay down certain criteria for promotion of Assistant Professors to Associate Professors.
The rules say that Assistant Professors would be appointed to JNIMS through direct recruitment thereby leaving the senior resident doctors with no chance of promotion.
Even though the authorities concerned including the Director were approached to address the issue, there has been no positive response till date.
Alleging that the Director has done nothing to settle the issue, the senior resident doctor asked whether the Director is simply waiting for the end of his term which is just about one year away.
Hinting that the JNIMS Teachers' Association will also join the strike from tomorrow, the doctor said that the agitation will become more intense from tomorrow.
In case the ongoing agitation disrupts healthcare service of JNIMS Hospital, the authority concerned particularly the Director should be held accountable, said the aggrieved doctors.
Notably, 17 Assistant Professors of different departments were appointed to JNIMS recently.
All the 17 posts of Assistant Professors were filled up with fresh candidates without giving any thought to the senior resident doctors/dentists who have been serving at JNIMS for several years, said the source.
It was this appointment of only fresh candidates which infuriated the senior resident doctors.
They started their agitating by wearing black badges followed by the cease work strike.
Advertisement for recruitment to another 25 posts of Assistant Professor has been already published but the senior resident doctors have made it clear that no fresh recruitment should be held until the service rules are amended.