New Delhi|HL
The 7th Pay Commission had brought dissatisfaction in service doctors in the country and to protest they jointly raised voice against central government for delinking of Non Practising allowance (NPA) from basic pay.
Joint council service doctors organizations’ (JACSDO) organised All India Service Doctors Conclave and GBM at RML on Sunday to alleged that the government is out to destroy government hospitals which are already in mess. They warned that this action of government would subvert the aims of Govt’s much flaunted national health policy. They threatened direct actions against government’s arbitrary actions.
Dr Rajeev Sood, Chairman, JACSDO said, ‘that the government’s stance on NPA would ruin the public health system in the country. He said service doctors in the country are much upset by it and unite to fight it out.’ He said there is massive unrest among service doctors at this attitude of the government.’
Medical Associations such as FORDA, DVA, AIFGDA, DMA and IMA.and Service Doctors of 10 organisations across the country ,20 State Health Services of India, Dental & Veterinary Doctors come jointly under one umbrella JACSDO for the issue.
There is more than 60 per cent shortage of government doctors and ratio of doctor and patients is 1 doctor for more than 16,000 people in India said Dr.Ajay Lekhi from MCD. We are in favor of totally removing of NPA and allowing us for private practice so that we can help the patients in need he added.
Dr Pankaj Solanki President FORDA said, ” We are very much dissatisfied by government’s step and negligence of doctors by them .We will call for strike as our next step towards the issue. Over all the govt. health policy is going to get a rude push back if the 7thCPC recommendations not suitably amended Dr.Solanki added.
Dr Sood further said, ‘The recommendations of 7th Central Pay Commission have destroyed the aspirations of thousands of doctors working in public health sector. Now the committee on allowance has accepted the reduction of None Practising Allowance (NPA) against all laws, rules and guidelines, and treating NPA as an allowance instead of basic pay against all administrative and Supreme Court and High Court orders. It seems 7th Central Pay Commission and current Government both have turned hostile to doctors and are indifferent to the deteriorating health care personnel.’
At the event the speakers spoke at length about how successive governments have contributed to making public healthcare sector a complete mess. They alleged that present government’s decision to delink NPA from basic pay would prove death knell for public healthcare system in the country.
Non Practicing Allowance(NPA) paid to the govt. doctors for the most difficult nature of their duties in addition to poor career growth. This has been a part of pay ever since 1962, but not only severely curtailed by 7th CPC but also in contempt to court directives has been delinked from basic pay . This has lead to a massive unrest amongst the Govt. doctors across the country and from all cadres said Dr.Rajesh Khyalia, President AIFGDA.
Reports suggest that the exodus of govt. doctors has been rising, and if these recommendations are implemented, it will certainly lead to huge exodus of Doctors from the govt. sector to the private sector, and this will most certainly be hazardous to the already depleted govt. health Institutions further added by Dr.Lekhi
Further In this regard a comprehensive note on charter of demands and issues of service doctors has been made; copy enclosed; and presented to the Hon’ble Health Minister, Secretary & Additional Secretary MoHFW, who assured directions to the concerned, to urgently attend to it and the joint action council of service doctors’ organization (JACSDO) as a general body resolved to undertake the following decisions:-
RESOLUTION NUMBER 1 – NPA (Non Practising Allowance) is the established fundamental rights of only doctors as per govt. of India monograph. It is de-jure and de-facto element of the basic pay. The GBM rejects the 7CPC allowance committee notification especially w.r.t NPA in toto. NPA should be implemented as per Javed Chaudhary committee and also rechristened as Non Practising Pay without any ceiling.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 –‘ JACSDO and all allied organizations demand creation of the Indian Medical Service immediately and in that process all present incumbents should be given , pay, perk, promotion and protocol at par with the three All India Services. And also the cadre posts’ structural ratios and threshold movement should be at par with the AIS. The same should be extended to all constituents of JACSDO and all supporting health cadres in centre and state. 3. RESOLUTION NUMBER 3 – The GBM unanimously ratifies the revamped and reorganised JACSDO executive
RESOLUTION NUMBER 4 – The GBM authorizes the executive body to take any decisions on the course of action for agitation against the toxic notifications of the Allowance committee INCLUDING CALL AND TIMELINE FOR DIRECT ACTION AND INDEFINITE STRIKE.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 5 – The GBM resolves to demand dignity of doctors near retirement at the peak of their seniority.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 6 – In this W.H.O year of Mental Health, as govt doctors work in a Doctor: patient Ratio of 1:16000 (IN PRIVATE SECTOR 1:2000), as against the W.H.O Norm of 1:1000, which is a major reason for violence against doctors, 10 years shorter life span, high suicidal rates, we must be given 200% of basic pay as Allowance to compensate for this 800% shortage and as a cover to the high risk doctors have in their work. Doctors also demand that Govt. may facilitate the armed licence to doctors for self-defence till these ratios are corrected.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 7 – Stop adhocism and contractual appointment in the cadre. Regularize all the appointee through UPSC as in 1989.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 8 – The charter of demands of JACSDO has been submitted to Hon’ble Health Minister in person. It is demanded to be accepted in toto for healthy health cadres.
