Doctors body warns of launching agitation
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 29 2022:
All Manipur Health Services Doctors' Association (AMHSDA) submitted an ultimatum to the chief minister pressing for an eight-point charter of demands while cautioning of launching agitation unless the government fulfil their demands by October 31 .
The ultimatum signed jointly by AMHSDA president Dr L Arke and general secretary Dr Lolee P Mao reminded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the superannuation age of doctors to 65 on May 26, 2016 .
Consequently, different state governments adopted the same policy and extended service age of the doctors.
The government of Manipur also adopted the policy on August 30, 2017 .
Under the same policy, the government extended the service age for JNIMS doctors in administrative post to 65 and those in non-administrative posts to 70 years.
Unfortunately, the Manipur Health Services reduced the service age to 62 by an order dated January 17, 2020 .
Over 90 per cent of doctors under MHS are non-specialists and they are not involved in private practice.
Since most of the doctors under MHS got their first promotion after a period of 20 years, most of them retire in the same post they joined, the ultimatum said and added that different policies and initiatives for public healthcare system cannot function properly if the doctors are not satisfied with their services.
According to the ultimatum, the demands of AMHSDA include time bound promotion policy; extension of service age to 65 for specialist and non-specialist doctors similar to JNIMS doctors; creation of the posts of director general under directorate of health services, directorate of family welfare services, directorate of public health and directorate of medical education; fixing Non-Performing Allowance (NPA) from January 1, 2016 as per the 7th CPC norms; strict implementation of transfer and posting policy of health services; promotion of MHS doctors to the highest rank as per seniority list; implementation of proposed MHS Rules 2020 and relevant amendments; as well as allowance for posting in difficult areas.
AMHSDA has been pressing the government to fulfil these demands since August 24, 2021 by submitting memorandum to the chief minister and other cabinet ministers.
A rejoinder was also submitted to the CM in the presence of PHE minister L Dikho on November 10, 2021 followed by two other rejoinders to the CM on July 19 in the presence of health minister Dr Sapam Ranjan and again on September 6 in the presence of Mao MLA L Dikho.
However, the government has been ignoring their demands, the ultimatum said, while cautioning of launching different forms of agitation if their demands were not fulfilled by October 31 .