Health services in Manipur government hospitals remained paralysed for the second consecutive day on Tuesday amid the boycott of Out Patient Department (OPD) services by the doctors.
The All-Manipur Health Services Doctors’ Association suspended OPD services protesting against the alleged failure of the state to honour the agreement reached between them and the state government. However, emergency services were not affected.
The association on January 5 announced the boycott for two days beginning January 9 which will be followed by an indefinite shutdown if their demands are not met.
The association’s demands include time-bound promotion, raise in the retirement age of specialist and non-specialist doctors to 65 years, inclusion of non-practising allowance in the basic pay with effect from January 1, 2016, as per the 7th pay commission and amendment of the Manipur Health Service Rules 1982.
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Dr Lolee P Mao, general secretary of the association stated that the government agreed to discuss the demands at a cabinet meeting in December 2022, following which the association suspended its proposed two-day OPD shutdown and indefinite closure from December 27. “The cabinet meeting was again held on January 2 but the demands were not discussed,” he said.
The association put up an eight charter of demands to the state government vide letter no. 182/19 dated 8 August 2022 which were then reduced to four demands per the authorities’ request during a meeting chaired by the health and family welfare director and additional chief secretary along with AMHSDA executives and working committee on 14 November 2022.
{{/usCountry}}The association put up an eight charter of demands to the state government vide letter no. 182/19 dated 8 August 2022 which were then reduced to four demands per the authorities’ request during a meeting chaired by the health and family welfare director and additional chief secretary along with AMHSDA executives and working committee on 14 November 2022.
{{/usCountry}}The first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Manipur extended doctors’ superannuation to 65 years on August 30, 2017, but it was rescinded by the same BJP government on January 17, 2020, to victimise some doctors and to accommodate the privilege, it alleged.