AMHSDA points finger at Govt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 01 2023:
The All Manipur Health Services Doctors' Association (AMHSDA) has accused the Government of ignoring the doctors' demands and protracting the issue.
On the 16th day of the ongoing total shutdown of health institutions, AMHSDA's general secretary Dr Lolee P Mao said the agitation by the association is having a toll on the people, especially in the hills, and as such, the Government should hear the doctors and bring a solution to the issue at the earliest.
"The Government knows and we know that the public are really suffering, especially those poor people in the hills where there are no alternative [healthcare] facilities like in the valley.
But, nothing has been done by the Government to solve this," he said.
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Almost all hospitals and health centres across the State have been shut indefinitely since February 14 .
Significantly, the AMHSDA has been appealing to the Government to fulfil its demands for months and it has been agitating since November 2022 .
Their demands include time bound promotion; extension of superannuation age of specialists and non-specialist doctors to 65 years; inclusion of NPA in the basic pay with effect from January 1 of 2016 as per the 7th Central Pay Commission; and amendment of the 'outdated' MHS Rules 1982 .
The AMHSDA had earlier raised 8 demands.
However, as requested by the Government, the association compromised and it reduced the 8 demands to just 4, Dr Lolee P Mao said.
Moreover, in good faith, AMHSDA cooperated with the Government during the Sangai Festival and also, the agitation was suspended during Amit Shah's visit recently, he added.
"The Govt said our demands are legit and said it is in the process [to address].
But, not a single demand has been fulfilled till today," said the doctor.
He then went on to accuse the Govt of "inventing an issue to complicate the demands" .
Instead of ending the suffering of the people, the Government yesterday said that if it [superannuation age of doctors] is extended to 65 years, there will be "stagnation" in the promotion of doctors from lower grade to a higher grade.
This is a "baseless" statement, he said, demanding the Govt to address the demands and put an end to the protracted issue.