SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Mar 10: A crucial joint meeting of the Jharkhand Health Services Association (JHSA) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) scheduled in Ranchi today in the evening has been deferred for a day (Saturday) to review the situation for the proposed indefinite boycott of service agitation.
Since the state government has initiated steps for the implementation of two major demands, the Medical Protection Act (MPA) and amendment in the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA), the medicos’ bodies would review their agitation on whether to go on an indefinite boycott call from March 13 or cancel it.
JHSA secretary Dr Thakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh said that the meeting would now be held tomorrow (Saturday), not today. The doctors body would review the situation changed after March 1 over the indefinite work boycott.
Notably, the five-member committee under director in-chief health Dr Virendra Kumar Singh assisted by the undersecretary of government Dhruv Kumar on March 6 submitted a report on MPA and CEA to Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) health Arun Kumar Singh for amendment.
“Of course, the government has initiated steps for the implementation of our two major issues-MPA and CEA. But two other major demands exempting salary payment on the basis of biometric attendance and action on assaulters of doctors are still due,” said Dr Thakur.
The JHSA secretary said doctors are not against biometric attendance but only want it should not be attached to salary payments. Doctors’ duty is 24X7. A biometric attendance machine has not been made for a 24X 7 duty system. Sometimes doctors are sent on training, workshop and other assignments. This duty only their DDO knows. So, the JHSA wants DDO should be assigned monitoring power of doctors and health staff.
The JHSA and the IMA are peeved that no action has been initiated against the assaulters of doctors in Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Ranchi, and Gumla so far.
“Compensation to the kin of Dr Hazra couple who died in the fire, and job to the doctor wife of Ranchi doctor who was crushed by a school bus,” said Dr Thakur.
The JHSA secretary said doctors do not want to stir which hits patients. That is why doctors’ bodies have taken a flexible stand on the CEA and demand an essential and genuine amendment to it.
