Act or we resume stir: AMHSDA to Govt
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 29 2022:
All Manipur Health Services Doctors' Association (AMHSDA) has warned that if the government does not translate into action assurances given to it on December 26 by December 31, it will shut down OPDs for unspecified period.
In a joint release issued Wednesday, AMHSDA president Dr L Arke Singh and general secretary Dr Lolee P Mao stated that the Association as intimated by the state government toned down its demands and placed four issues for consideration including time bound/scale promotion extension of superannuation age of specialist and non-specialist doctors to 65 years as administrative post as per the declaration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for central & state doctors, inclusion of NPA in the Basic Pay with effect from January 1, 2016 as per 7th Central Pay Commission and major amendment of the out dated MHS Rules, 1982.The said demands were discussed at the ministerial level on November 18, but no action has been taken up.
Despite launching series of agitations by AMHSDA, the government remained a mute spectator and finally, the Association called for total closure of all OPDs and emergency services under Manipur Health Services on December 20, it added.
AMHSDA continued that in good faith, on the invitation of the government a ministerial level meeting chaired by the health minister in the presence of Health & Family Welfare Services additional chief secretary, Health Services director and others as government representatives was held with the Association's president, general secretary and Working Committee members at the minister's conference hall on December 26.The meeting came to a decision that the demands will be put up in the cabinet meeting before December ends.
The Association also agreed to suspend the shutdown of OPDs services for two days with effect from December 27.In the meeting it was also assured that the show cause notices served to agitating doctors for taking one day mass casual leave on December 17 will be revoked, it recalled.
AMHSDA decried that despite the assurances the show cause notices have not been withdrawn and no formal order issued.
There has been no visible sign of preparation of memo to hold cabinet meeting in this regard, till Wednesday.
The Association will not compromise on any of the said four demands listed to the government under any circumstances, it also asserted.
The joint release further stressed that whether the cabinet meeting is held within December or later, the effective date of fulfilment of the demands should be from January 1 or, if not, from November 1 i.e., from the start of the AMHSDA's intensified agitations.