Doctors call off proposed strike as government assures action on demands

The Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) connected Tuesday called disconnected its projected indefinite onslaught that was scheduled to statesman connected March 11, Wednesday, aft the State authorities assured that their demands would beryllium considered successful a time-bound manner.

The determination was made aft relation representatives met with the Chief Secretary, Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, and different elder Health and Family Welfare Department officials connected Tuesday.

According to KGMOA State president Ravindranath M. Meti, the authorities has agreed to code 13 of the 14 demands raised by the association.

“We person received an assurance from the authorities that astir of our demands volition beryllium addressed wrong a stipulated timeframe. Therefore, for the clip being, we person decided to defer our agitation, portion keeping the enactment of aboriginal protests unfastened if advancement is not made wrong the promised timeframe,” Dr. Meti told The Hindu.

The relation had earlier warned that authorities doctors would motorboat a phased protestation opening connected Wednesday, March 11. In the archetypal phase, from March 11 to 15, doctors had planned to halt outpatient services portion continuing exigency services. From March 16 onwards, doctors, officers, and employees had projected to abstain from each duties until their demands were met.

Officials said the authorities initiated discussions with the relation up of the onslaught to forestall disruption of healthcare services crossed the State.

Additional post

Among the assurances fixed by the authorities is the instauration of an Additional Secretary-level station successful the department, which would beryllium held by a method expert. The relation has agelong demanded specified a presumption to guarantee that administrative decisions successful the section are supported by method expertise.

In earlier representations to the government, the relation had pointed retired that the Health Department presently has astir 36,397 officers and employees, who supply healthcare services to astir six crore radical successful the State. However, vacancies, retirements and delays successful recruitment person importantly accrued the workload connected existing staff.

Key demands

Among the cardinal demands raised by the relation are amendments to the Cadre and Recruitment Rules, work of updated seniority lists, and timely promotions for eligible doctors and staff. According to the association, seniority lists successful immoderate cadres person not been revised for astir 13 years, starring to delays successful promotions.

The relation has besides flagged concerns implicit the suspension of in-service higher acquisition opportunities for doctors, irregular transfers, and the shortage of medicines successful authorities hospitals.

Another large interest raised by the relation is the ample fig of vacancies successful the department, with astir 40% of sanctioned posts reportedly remaining unfilled. Many of these sanctioned positions were created based connected 1998 colonisation data, the relation said, arguing that staffing levels person not kept gait with the State’s increasing colonisation and healthcare demands.