Dharamsala, August 24, 2015: Around 1,600 doctors in government hospitals in Himachal went on mass casual leave on Monday, as a part of their ongoing protest against the alleged manhandling of a lady doctor in Kullu and apathetic attitude of Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur and government. Dr Susheel Sharma, spokesperson, Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA), said that medical services, except emergency, remained suspended today . "The emergency services will not be halted on Monday. The medical officers who are on emergency duty as mentioned in the duty roaster will offer emergency services," said Sant Lal Sharma, chairman of HMOA action committee.
On the other hand, CM Himachal Pradesh Vir Bhadra Singh has called the HMAO officials for talks this afternoon in Shimla. However the HMOA is of the opinion that if no progress found in the said talks, it shall be forced to resort to four-hour pen down strike (from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm) from August 25 to August 31. State president of the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers Association (HPMOA) Jeevnand Chauhan said the lady doctor was allegedly beaten up by some unknown persons at her home and she had suffered a serious head injury. “Our association met the Health Minister in Shimla, but he seemed least bothered. Forty doctors of the HPMOA returned disappointed. We are being forced to resort to agitation and 1,600 doctors are on mass casual leave today. They will only provide emergency services.”
He said they had demanded that the offence be made non-bailable. “We want the government to provide security to the doctors,” he said. Vikram Lakhanpal, president of the Chamba Medical Officers Association, said the Ministry of Health had withdrawn the powers of the in charge of medical officers and that he could not sanction medical and earned leave now. He said that the power now rests with the Secretary, Health, should be reversed . Yesterday, the Transport and Technical Education Minister GS Bali in his statement termed the strike “unfortunate”. He promised to take up the issue with the Chief Minister and the Health Minister in order to end the stalemate.
HMOA has announced that if the August 24 mass casual leave doest work ,then the association will intensify their action and from August 25 to 31 the pen down strike will be observed for four hours from 9.30am to 1.30pm.
And Finally doctors will go for mass resignation, which would be submitted by all medical officers on September 1.
Former health minister and BJP MLA from Nahan, Dr Rajeev Bindal, said that around 2 to 2.5 lakh patients who visit the government hospitals in the state on daily basis would be affected by the strike of doctors.
Date:
Monday, August 24, 2015