Protesting transfers, Rajasthan govt doctors attend to patients in tents
The transfer of 12 doctors, including All Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA) president Dr Ajay Choudhary, triggered the protest. In-service doctors also boycotted work for two hours (9am to 11am) on Wednesday and Thursday
Protesting against the transfer of their association’s office-bearers, government doctors in Rajasthan stayed away from health centres on Friday and attended to patients under tents.
The transfer of 12 doctors, including All Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA) president Dr Ajay Choudhary, triggered the protest. In-service doctors also boycotted work for two hours (9am to 11am) on Wednesday and Thursday.
Doctors affiliated to ARISDA erected tents outside primary and community health centres, and district hospitals to treat patients. Around 10,000 in-service doctors work in health centres in the state.
“The state government is not implementing the agreement signed with the in-service doctors after a weeklong strike and now it has transferred ARISDA office-bearers, which smacks of vendetta,” said ARISDA general secretary Dr Durgashankar Saini who attended patients under a tent near the government ESI hospital in Kota.
The in-service doctors had gone on a strike on November 6 and called it off on November 12 after talks with the government which, they said, accepted most of their 33 demands.
The demands included correction in salary discrepancies, Rs 10,000 as grade pay benefit, improvement in service conditions, safety inside hospitals, separate cadre and housing facility.
Saini said ARISDA core committee held a meeting on Thursday and gave an ultimatum of 72 hours to the government to implement the agreement and cancel the transfers.
“The in-service doctors will not let the patients suffer, so they are attending to patients in tents across the state today,” he said.
Saini said the core committee would meet after 72 hours on Monday and decide the next course of action.
The resident doctors’ association (RDA) in Ajmer backed the in-service doctors, demanding that the government implement the agreement. “We extend our solidarity to in-service doctors, and will join them if the government fails to resolve the issue,” said Dr Rajendra Singh Lamror, Ajmer president of RDA.
The government directed district collectors to take action against doctors and health personnel who boycotted work during hospital timings. Health minister Kali Charan Saraf said, “Those who create obstacles in providing health services to patients will be strictly dealt with.”