Strike continues, medicos roped in for patients
State says services not affected as PG doctors and final year students are attending the patients
CHENNAI: Even as the government doctors across the State continued their strike for the second day on Saturday, the State Health Department said it has not affected services, as postgraduate doctors and final year students have been drafted to attend to the patients.
The Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) had begun the indefinite strike on Friday demanding better pay and changes in appointment, including that of PG service doctors.
Though they have boycotted outpatient services, the doctors are attending cases in emergency services, including paediatric intensive care units, fever wards, deliveries, intensive care units, and coronary care units.
The doctors have been demanding implementation of pay band 4 at the end of 13 years of service, which is currently 20 years. They are also demanding 50 per cent reservation in PG admissions for service doctors and counselling for service doctors as direct postings cause inconvenience to them. The doctors are also demanding postings based on the patient load at government hospitals.
"More than 50 per cent of the members of FOGDA are participating in the strike. We were given assurances every time we protested. This time, we want action by the State government. We held talks with the health secretary, but we are not happy with the progress on our demands submitted in August," said FOGDA convenor Dr A Ramalingam.
The hospital authorities in city government hospitals said that services were not affected, as most of the doctors are reporting to duty.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said that the department was ready to hold talks with the doctors to discuss their issues and demands.
"Of the 425 doctors in the city, only 65 were absent yesterday and only 50 today.
The outpatient services were not affected because we have PG doctors and final year students attending the patients. We have also deployed the non-clinical staff to attend to patients. The protesters’ demands are under consideration and we are ready to talk to them on the issue," said the official.