Aggrieved doctors ready for extreme steps
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 15 2011: Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital doctors and other non-gazetted employees who have been absorbed into JN Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) have prepared themselves for extreme actions even to the extent of challenging the Chief Minister in case JNIMS authority fails to redress their grievances at the earliest.

Talking to The Sangai Express, some erstwhile JN Hospital staff but now absorbed in JNIMS disclosed that they have serious grievances against JNIMS authority and that they would like to return to their parent department.

However, as the JNIMS authority is aware that it would not be possible to run the institute without the JN Hospital doctors and non gazetted staff, they are not being given consent to return to their parent department.

While they are not allowed to return to their parent department, the JNIMS authority has not done anything for the welfare of JN Hospital doctors and non-gazetted staff.

Irregularity in payment of monthly salaries, freezing of GPF account transaction, failure of the JNIMS authority to make due pension contribution, leave salary contribution and group insurance scheme are some of the grievances listed by the JN Hospital doctors and staff who have been absorbed in JNIMS.

Generally, there should not be any gap in employees' GPF but for these doctors and staff there has been a gap since the last two years.

However, those doctors and staff directly recruited into JNIMS are not subjected to any such inconveniences.

Such discrimination has only multiplied anguish of the doctors and staff absorbed from JN Hospital.

Even as the DDO has been appointed and the necessary code number given, these employees have not been given salaries as JNIMS authority has not yet furnished the list of employees.

As such, doctors and staff absorbed from JN Hospital have been urging the authorities concerned to publish notifications in newspapers so that they can report back to the Health Directorate.

Health Directorate officials have already considered the proposal but they have certain reservations to issue notification in newspapers as it would amount to challenging the Chief Minister who was the principal force behind successful establishment of JNIMS.

On the other hand, Health Directorate has written repeatedly to JNIMS authority to give the list of doctors and non-gazetted staff absorbed from JN Hospital.

But there has been no response till date.

Yet, one JN Hospital Superintendent maintained that a file containing the list of JN Hospital doctors and staff who have been absorbed in JNIMS is with the Health Directorate.

The list was sent to JNIMS for confirmation but again there was no response, conveyed the aggrieved doctors and personnel.

They further lamented that the Health Directorate is in no position to furnish the list of JN Hospital doctors and staff who have been absorbed into JNIMS, if any higher authority asks for it.

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