Doctors stick to demand, indefinite shutdown
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 13 2023: While sticking to its demands centring on increasing service period and allowances, All Manipur Health Services Doctors' Association (AMHSDA) has declared that there is no change in their plan to launch indefinite shutdown of all the district hospitals and health centres under MHS from November 14, in protest against the government's failure to honour their demands.

In a release, AMHSDA general secretary Dr Lolee P Mao informed that the association had initially presented eight charter demands, which were later reduced to four on the request of the government.

However, despite repeated appeals and commitments made in the cabinet meetings, not a single demand has been granted till date.

Instead, the demands were haphazardly presented and misinterpreted during the recently concluded assembly session, thus misleading the public, the general secretary said.

Informing that the four demands include time-bound promotions, extension of the superannuation age of doctors to 65 years as administrative posts', non-practicing allowances as per the 7th Central Pay Commission and major amendments to the outdated Medical Health Services Rules 1982, the general secretary pointed out that the current strength of doctors in Manipur is only 1300 to 1400, which does not reach the World Health Organisation s standard of 1 doctor per 1000 population.

With the present population of the state over 30 lakhs, the state if facing shortage of 600-700 doctors as the WHO standard which entails having at least 3000 doctors, Dr Lolee explained, adding that the Association has been demanding time-scale promotions like other organised services, which is not related to the number of vacancies.

Recalling that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the retirement age of doctors to 65 years in 2016, the secretary further pointed out that on the contrary, the Manipur government misinterpreted extension of the service year as on trial basis in 2017 and reduced it to 62 years by 2020 .

The extension of the superannuation age to 65 years as an administrative post will help to eliminate the senior-junior complexity in the workplace, the general secretary said, while recalling that the shutdown was declared in a press conference held at Manipur Press Club on November 11, 2022 .

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