PCMSA strike: Ludhiana civil hospital admn work at a standstill as doctors up ante
On September 2, the PCMSA announced that they would boycott all official work to press for their demands
The office work at the civil hospital came to a halt as doctors refused to do anything but tend to the patients.
This comes in response to a strike call made on September 2 by the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA).
“Nothing can be co-ordinated as the doctors have refused to even show up for meetings. There is no reporting. The inquiries have been shut as well,” said a senior official at the hospital, seeking anonymity.
On September 2, the PCMSA announced that they would boycott all official work to press for their demands. The doctors’ body has been demanding restoration of assured career progressions, security provisions for health care workers (HCWs), regular/time bound recruitment of medical officers (MOs) and pending sixth pay commission arrears.
Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr Pardeep Mohindra said that the doctors’ body was in touch with the higher ups, and he expected a resolution soon.
A PCMSA delegation met the department of health and family welfare administrative secretary on Wednesday. After the meeting, PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sareen said, “They (higher officials) accepted that the demands were well-founded and that they were talking to the finance department.”
Dr Sareen said that the boycott of official work will continue and threatened a complete shutdown of services at government hospitals across the state if the demands were not met by September 9.