Health services to remain affected across state today
The strike by doctors on a call given by the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) continues as their meeting with Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh failed to yield any result today.
MLA backs doctors
MLA Sandeep Jakhar joined the doctors' protest in Abohar on Thursday. He said the government should accept their demands as soon as possible. He said he would himself talk to the Health Minister in that regard.
A representative of the protesting doctors said, “Our demands on security and assured career progression (ACP) scheme are non-negotiable. In the face of non-receipt of the required letter from the government, the functioning of OPDs will remain suspended on September 13 too.”
The written assurance issued in this regard by the government late last evening was discussed in detail at the PCMSA general body meeting. All district heads were of the opinion that the assurances given by the government “were not in conformity with the fruitful proceedings of the Cabinet sub-committee”. The meeting “unanimously passed a resolution expressing dissatisfaction over the unnecessary delay in the restoration of ACP scheme and improving security arrangements”.
Dr Akhil Sareen, PCMSA state president, said their demands were approved at yesterday’s meeting with the Cabinet sub-committee and the members had agreed to the restoration of the ACP scheme. “However, we will not return to work till the government gives it in writing,” he said.
Meanwhile, due to a full-day (8 am to 2 pm) strike by the doctors at the Sangrur Civil Hospital on Thursday, a large number of patients, including children and the elderly, had to face inconvenience. The emergency ward of the hospital, however, functioned normally.
On normal days, over 1,100 patients are examined at various OPDs of this hospital, but the number has come down drastically over the past three days. Only 70 patients were issued OPD slips till
1 pm on Thursday.
In Ludhiana, OPD services at various hospitals remained crippled due to the strike. Over the past three days, the OPDs had been operational for three hours daily (11 am to 2 pm), but there was no work at OPDs on Thursday.
