SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 15: The oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected office-bearers of the Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA), which is scheduled on September 17 at the IMA building in Ranchi, has snowballed into a controversy.
The officials of the outgoing committee and incumbent office-bearers (2022-2024) of JHSA have justified inviting the state health minister Banna Gupta as the chief guest on the occasion. However, a section of members (doctors) deployed across the state have strongly opposed it saying that his (Banna Gupta) actions and steps are not friendly with the medical officers.
JHSA is the frontal organization of state government doctors.
A medical officer of Ranchi today admitted that several JHSA members (doctors) have protested against making the health minister the chief guest at the function. He said there is apprehension that they may raise slogans against the decision of JHSA office-bearers at the function.
The election of JHSA’s new committee (2022-2024) was held on August 21. In the wake of political turmoil in the state, the oath-taking ceremony was deferred to get the appointment of the health minister. Finally, the date was fixed on September 11 but it had to be cancelled at the last moment due to one-day state mourning (September 11) over the death of British Queen Elizabeth II.
Notably, doctors of the state are on boil due to the August 16 notification of the health department which restricts their private practice after duty hours with several conditions including undertaking. Since government doctors do not get a non-practice allowance (NPA), they are entitled to serve patients in private hospitals/ health centres after duty.
“The action of JHSA office-bearers looks contradictory. On one side, they make the health minister the chief guest while on the other side, they have announced to launch agitation against him for not withdrawing the ban on private practice notification. The minister had assured to withdraw the notice in three days but did not even after 10 days. Our (JHSA) stand should be cleared in the interest of the members. If we have to fight with the government for the interest of doctors, we should not invite him,” said a medical officer based at Ranchi.
So, JHSA members are protesting the health minister for the anti-doctor decree.
JHSA and Indian Medical Association (IMA) both have strongly protested the private practice notification. A joint delegation of both the organizations even met the health minister a few days ago demanding withdrawal of the notification and Banna Gupta reportedly assured to do so in the interest of health services.
