Reduction in NPAs of docs: Punjab govt doctors on strike from July 12-14; no OPDs as well

The doctors added that if the government did not resolve the issue of NPA by July 18, all health and veterinary doctors would go on indefinite strike from July 19 onwards

Chandigarh The Joint Government Doctors Coordination Committee (JGDCC) has announced that health and veterinary services, including Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) will not function from July 12-14. Emergency, Covid, post-mortem and medico-legal services will continue as usual.

Doctors say their stir is also an attempt to save the public health care system. (HT FILE)

The doctors have been protesting against the government silence on their demand of no reduction in Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) being paid to them. The doctors added that if the government did not resolve the issue of the NPA by July 18, all health and veterinary doctors would go on indefinite strike from July 19 onwards.

Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) association president and senior members of the JGDCC, Dr Gagandeep Singh; president, veterinary officers association, Dr Gagandeep Singh Shergill; president, dental association, Dr Sanjeev Pathak; president, ayurvedic association, Dr Balwinder Singh; president, homoeopathic association, and Dr Deepinder Singh president, rural medical officers association, in a joint statement said, “Due to the government’s silence on the issue of NPA, the JGDCC is forced to give a strike call again. For the convenience of the public, government OPDs will be shut from July 15-17, but parallel OPDs would be run by the JGDCC in lawns of hospitals so that the needy persons would not be deprived of availing health/veterinary service.”

During the boycott, all doctors across the state will donate blood. Doctors are irked as health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu had recently assured the joint committee that the issue of NPA would be resolved within a week, but nothing has been even as many days have passed.

JGDCC convener Dr Inderveer Gill said this NPA agitation is to the save the public health care system. The government is pursuing a policy of evading the issue.