DAK protests to get their demands fulfilled

Srinagar

Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) under its president Dr Suhail Naik on Monday lodged a strong protest at Directorate of Health Services Kashmir Office, Srinagar against the government for its callous approach in resolving the grave issues of the medical fraternity.

The spokesman said that it has been since decades that government is playing with the sentiments of medical fraternity by not addressing the legitimate demands. Either the government is hell-bent not to solve the issues or the functionary is so inefficient that only after coming on to roads the demands shall be fulfilled.

DAK has always been against protests as patient care is our worship and of utmost duty but seeing the dead end of the hopeless tunnel we are left with no option but to agitate so to highlight our demands for redressal.

“Today we are protesting to highlight our list of demands along with highlighting grave pay anomaly and availing gazetted holidays as it should be. Neither the doctors have been kept in Pay Band 3rd as per the past Commission recommendations nor as being witnessed in other parts of the country nor we being given any extra emoluments for the extra challenging duties, do we? From the history of pay bands it has observed that in J & K, the doctors enjoyed the higher pay bands as is evident from the previous records but with the passage of time it was relegated to lower pay bands for unknown reason as a result of this relegation the doctors of this noble profession feel humiliated and even has to lead to the brain drain .This is against the ethics of being an employee and defies all labour laws,” the spokesman quoted Dr Naik Saying

“Doctors will from now onwards avail gazetted holidays barring the medical emergencies & casualty sections of every hospital. There is no rule where it is written that a Doctor has to give extra duty without being given any perks that too when their pay band has already been demoted,” he added.

The spokesman further said that Finance Minister Altaf Bukhari while declaring 7th Pay Commission has recommended that, a government employee should work not more than 40 hours a week. Duty hours of medical officers/dental surgeons range from 50 to 60hours a week while that of consultants range from 65 to 75 hours per week.

Pertinently the newly elected DAK has already met Hon’ble Health Minister Bali Bhagat, Ex-Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu along with all other officers at Secretariat and  Directorate level but unfortunately, there seems no hope of seeing our issues being heard or resolved.

“The Doctors have been knocking the administrator corridors since time immemorial but it seems government only acknowledges the problems when the matters get highlighted via protests. It is unfortunate that DAK had to resort to protest as all options have resulted in a dead end for us”, the spokesman quoted Dr Naik saying.

General Secretary DAK , Dr Owais H Dar said that “we have submitted  last year a list of all genuine Financial and Non-Financial Implication Demands (Annexure – A)  to various stakeholders of the Government but it’s quite deplorable that there is a complete halt on the redressal of our demands for the reasons better known to the authorities”.

DAK has requested Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti to intervene and frame high-level committee so as to look into our genuine demands.

DAK further said that the government that if the authorities don’t come with a stipulated time-bound action plan in resolving the issues then we are left with no option but to launch a statewide agitation. We are giving 6 weeks’ time to the government to full fill our demands or we will proceed with a statewide strike and the Patient care thus affected will have all the onus on government exclusively. It is pertinent to mention that DAK enjoys the support of JKDCC which is an amalgam of all doctors association of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh

Demands with no financial implications

1. Ordinance on offence against on-duty doctors or damage to hospital infrastructure to be made a non-bailable offence. File already submitted to the government. Provision for the creation of indigenous hospital security force for safety and security of doctors hospital property.
2. Caderisation of Medical officers into the Medical officer, senior and supervising medical officers. Caderisation of dental surgeons into dental surgeons, senior and supervising dental surgeons. File submitted to the government.
3. Caderisation of consultants into consultants, senior consultants, and chief consultants with the proposal of starting departments in district hospitals with each department consisting of Chief consultant two senior consultants and three consultants. File and proposal submitted to the government.
4. Rationalization of posting: Posting and transfer policy to be followed in letter and spirit. Posting of doctors in nearest places where they live or in the nearby area must be ensured if the post (of MO or of that speciality) is available. The rule shall be incorporated in transfer policy that any doctor who services in any particular area or particular hospital (PHC/CHC/SDH/DH/MCH) for more than 5 years must be automatically relieved to respective directorate for next posting.
5. Departmental promotion of Medical officer, dental surgeons and Consultants at regular intervals in time bound manner. APRs even in previous years of Medical officers, dental surgeons and consultants to be signed by sitting respective directors and commissioner secretary. time bound promotions must be done in time bound manner of at least 8 weeks.
6. Change of nomenclature of dental surgeons into medical officer (Dental) / dental officer as has been done for medical officers from assistant surgeons.
7. Restoration of seniority in administrative posts (BMO/CMO/MS/DMS/DIO/DHO) with equal share to consultants, medical officers and Dental surgeons in proportion ratio of 2:2:1
8. No doctor (Medical Officer, Dental Surgeon Or Consultant) should be suspended without prior enquiry in any mishap that happens in any hospital during his or her duty hours.
9. A detachment of all medical officers posted at medical college Jammu and Srinagar who are basically employees of Health department either with DHS/DHJ as there is already deficiency of medical officers in the rural area.
10. Announcing annual awards to those doctors who excel in each speciality.
11. Well furnished Rooms for consultants and medical officers in each hospital of the state along with adequate space to be made available in each hospital for canteens for doctors/paramedics.
12. Medical officers with PG degree/diplomas and who have complete ford mandatory 2 years of rural service must be relieved for registrar-ship /senior residency without any delay.
13. Non-interference in duties and rosters of doctors by Tehsildars /SDM or even DCs. it has been observed in recent past that below-rung officers especially of revenue department that they usually enter the hospital and start checking attendance registers or duty rosters. how can a below-rung officer of any department check attendances of Doctors who are class-1A gazette officers?

Demands with financial implications

1. Two and half day salary for all doctors as is given to paramedical staff. Since doctors whether medical officers, dental surgeons or consultants don not avail gazetted or non-gazetted holidays. Medical officers are put on night duties and consultants have to attend 24 x 7 call duties various district and sub-district hospitals. Increased special pay given to doctors from 800 to 4000 and must be given to consultants also.
2. Creation of new dental surgeon posts as no dental surgeon posts was advertised for last more than 10 years. The number of unemployed dental surgeons has swelled to more than 3000. the file for the same has been submitted by respective directorates to Government.
3. Rural allowance – More allowance to doctors working in far-flung areas than working in Capital cities on the pattern as given in neighbouring hilly states esp Himachal Pradesh
4. Equal pay for equal work. Doctors, whether Medical officers, consultants working under NHM scheme should get equal salary as given to PSC, confirmed Doctors.
5. Policy for regularization of doctors employed under NHM scheme.
6. Risk allowances and high-risk vaccination to doctors.
7. Career incentives to doctors in the form of special medical course training, fellowships.
8. Reservations of 50 percent posts at newly upgraded medical colleges for consultants working in health and possessing the required criteria
9. Increasing the sanctioned strength of consultants and senior consultant at all District and sub-district hospitals and in MCH without any political centred distribution as has been in past.