Health services take a hit as 2000 Docs strike
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- Current News
- Friday, 23 March 2012 11:29
- Published on Friday, 23 March 2012 11:29
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Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad
With more than 2000 doctors of government run hospitals on strike, the health services in the city have taken a hit. These doctors who are also teachers of the government medical colleges have been demanding UGC grade pay scale.
The strike has had double impact, as along with the health services in the city, the studies of students in government run medical colleges have also been affected. Also, emergency services in the hospitals of the state have been crippled, as only resident doctors are left there to handle these cases.
The doctors have been demanding pay as per the UGC standards since the last three years. “Our pay is lesser than a teacher in arts, commerce or any other stream in any college. We exert ourselves beyond our limits for the people and government. We are available 24 hours for emergency cases, and also teach medical students. In return, we get a negligible salary. We are demanding what we deserve, which is the UGC granted pay scale," stated a doctor.
Dr JC Makwana, secretary of Gujarat Medical Teacher's Association (GMTA), stated how three years have passed and their demands have fallen on deaf ears. "It seems like the state government is not interested at all in listening to us. We submitted a memorandum on March 13, 2012, informing them about our indefinite strike. This is the seventh memorandum submitted in three years."Â
"Whenever we make representations, we get vague replies like 'the financial department is not agreeing to it' or 'we will think over it'." Also, after a rally in August 2011, we were promised by Jaynarayan Vyas, health minister, that we would get the UGC scale. "Seven months have passed and nothing has changed," added Dr Makwana.
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