Telangana junior doctors threaten strike if not given 15% pay hike as ‘promised’

Telangana junior doctors’ decision comes at a time when the state has decided to impose a 10-day lockdown in the state starting May 12, to prevent further spread of coronavirus.

Junior resident doctors in various government hospitals in Telangana have threatened to go on a strike after May 25 if their salaries are not hiked by 15% among other demands. Their association served a notice to this effect on the state medical and health department on Monday.

Telangana: The junior doctors association said it realised that a strike during the second Covid-19 wave was not appropriate but added that it was left with “no option”. (ANI File Photo/Representative use)

“We have given two weeks’ time for the government to fulfil our demands which have been pending for over a year. We shall strike work after May 25 and boycott all services, including emergency medical services,” said Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) president Vasari Naveen Reddy.

The doctors’ decision comes at a time when the Telangana government has decided to impose a 10-day lockdown in the state starting May 12, to prevent further spread of coronavirus. On Tuesday, Telangana’s Covid-19 tally rose by 4,801 while 32 more casualties took the death toll to 2,803. For the past few days, authorities in Telangana have been stating that load in hospitals in Hyderabad was increasing with too many patients coming in from other places.

Reddy claimed the junior resident doctors were getting monthly salaries of ₹44,000 in the first year; ₹46,000 in the second year and ₹48,000 in the third year, which was due for a revision since last year.

“As per the contract, we have to get a 15% hike in salary every year. We got the hike last in 2019 and it was due for a revision in January 2020. During the last year’s coronavirus pandemic, the government agreed for a pay revision and the file was approved at all levels. It has now been pending clearance from chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for the last five months,” Reddy said.

A similar 15% increase in salary for senior resident doctors was also pending with the chief minister, he said. “We ran from pillar to post to get the file approved, but there has been no response from the government. Hence, as a last resort, we have decided to strike after duly giving two-week’s notice to the government,” Reddy said.

The TJUDA also demanded an immediate payment of 10% incentive to all healthcare workers promised by the chief minister during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic last year.

The doctors association have also sought priority Covid-19 treatment for healthcare workers and their families citing their ‘selfless’ service during the crisis period.

“In several government hospitals, healthcare workers and their family members are not able get a bed for treatment. The Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) is always occupied and we have urged the government to increase the bed capacity. We want the government to issue a circular for free treatment of healthcare workers and their family members,” the association president said.

The association demands that the government also implements an earlier order to insure medical students. “The ex-gratia of ₹50 lakh for doctors and ₹25 lakh for nurses and supporting staff that was announced [earlier] has not been implemented so far,” Reddy claimed.

He added that while the association realised that a strike in this hour of crisis was not appropriate, it felt it was left with ‘no option’. “The government has turned a deaf ear to our problems despite repeated reminders. Anyway, we have not resorted to any lightning strike, but have given two-week’s notice,” Reddy added.

Director of Medical Education department Dr Ramesh Reddy could not be reached for a comment.