Patiala doctors protest against 6th pay panel report
Tribune News Service
Patiala, July 1
Patients visiting Government Rajindra Hospital for treatment were a harried lot as medical and dental faculty observed National Doctors’ Day as a black day and held a protest against the Sixth Pay Commission report today. A similar protest was held by veterinary and ayurvedic doctors here today.
Doctors said, “The Sixth Pay Commission report has led to drastic cuts in salaries of state government doctors while a number of their demands have also not been met.”
The OPD, operation theatre services, along with classroom teaching of students, were suspended for over three hours.
Dr DS Bhullar, state general secretary, Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association (PSMDTA), said, however, emergency, indoor patient and Covid services, along with medico-legal and post-mortem work, kept running smoothly during the protest.
Medical and dental teachers, along with senior and junior resident doctors, organised a rally and burnt copies of the pay commission report today. Doctors demanded that the NPA (non-practice allowance) should be restored to the original form and linked to the basic pay, along with restoration of all other allowances, and the NPA term be changed to compensatory pay.
The PSMDTA said they had also submitted a memorandum at the office of Chief Minister, Punjab, Local Bodies Minister Brahm Mohindra and Medical Education Minister OP Soni over their demands.
Meanwhile, people visiting the OPD from far-off places had to wait to for check up by doctors.
