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6th Pay Commission: Doctors’ strike hits health services in Ludhiana
The doctors and paramedical staff are up against the recommendations of the sixth pay commission pertaining to non-practising allowance and pension benefits
The state-wide strike of joint government doctors’ coordination committee (JGDCC) and the nursing employees hit the health services in Ludhiana. The committee suspended OPD services on Tuesday, leaving the patients high and dry.
The doctors and paramedical staff are up against the recommendations of the sixth pay commission pertaining to non-practising allowance and pension benefits.
The JGDCC, accompanied by the nursing staff, staged a protest outside Mother and Child Hospital. With the nursing staff also on strike, emergency, Covid, post-mortem and medico, and vetro-legal services were paralysed at the civil hospital.
Similar scenes were witnessed in other parts of the district as outpatient and inpatient department services, elective surgeries, and other non-emergency services remained suspended as over 400 doctors posted at the civil hospitals in Ludhiana, Khanna, Jagraon, and 10 community health centres joined the protest.
Deepak Shrivastav, a resident of Hargobind Nagar, said amid the rain he somehow managed to reach the hospital only to be told that the doctors were on strike.
Asha Rani, who was suffering from fever and cough, also complained.
“The government healthcare system is meant to facilitate the poor. Where are the poor supposed to go for treatment when OPDs are closed? We do not have enough money to spend on private treatment,” said Asha.
Dr Rohit Rampal, member of the JGDCC, said that due to the Eid al-Adha holiday, OPDs will remain closed on Wednesday.
