Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Sep 7: Disheartened by the government’s efforts to scuttle the efforts launched by them in the past to agitate for getting the facilities they deserve, and the intervention of the courts that had made it difficult for them to go on strike, the State Government Medical Officers Association has planned to resort to a new form of agitation – en masse resignation.
President of the State Government Medical Officers Association, Dr H N Ravindra, informed at a press conference held here on Sunday September 6, that the government medical officers in the state will protest against disparities in the service conditions, wages etc., by resigning together from their posts, on September 28, if their demands are not met by the state government by that date. He said, that the Association has already submitted a memorandum to the government on August 11 this year, and that the medical officers have stopped sending the national programmes implementation reports since then.
Ravindra further added that the medical officers will henceforth not take part in the meetings that may be convened by the district health department, district health mission etc., and any other programmes being held by the state health department till then.
"The post of the medical officer is equivalent to that of the tahsildar. Still, they are not being provided with basic necessities, although they are made to work under extremely difficult circumstances. Their services are not being confirmed and the medical officers are deprived of even allowances they are legally entitled to. The tahsildars, engineers of the public works department etc., get government vehicles and residential quarters. But the medical officers working in rural places neither get quarters, not transportation. They can not even admit their children to good schools, he claimed. "We are ready to leave our jobs. Already 2,500 medical officers have handed in their resignations. The Association has not brought pressure on any of the doctors to resign. It is left to their discretion," he added.
The services of medical officers working on contrat basis, should be confirmed. This does not involve too much additional financial burden on the government. The doctors need job security. If the government does not need the services of the medical officers, they are ready to leave. Let the government make alternative arrangements, he said. At the same time, he promised that the medical officers will continue to practice in the villages of their posting, through private practice. Hence, people may not face too many problems, he felt.
The demands of the medical officers include absorbing the services of the medical officers on contract basis, payment of allowances, considering the service put in on contract basis, while selecting medical officers for higher education, time-scale promotions, filling up vacant posts of medical officers, providing of basic amenities, etc.