Over 100 BAMS ayurvedic doctors begin 10-day strike
Even after an assurance by the health minister to fill up the vacant posts of Ayurvedic doctors within three months, more than 1,000 posts are lying vacant in hospitals across Maharashtra. An assurance was given by the health minister, Dr Deepak Sawant, in December 2016. Doctors across the state went on a strike from Tuesday with the motive that their demands should get fulfilled immediately.
In the month of March, the vacant posts of doctors in government hospitals, which are located in rural and tribal areas were supposed to be filled. “We had been told that the posts would be immediately filled by the Bachelors of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) doctors and graduates, but we are waiting,” said Dr Arun Koli.
Maharashtra has more than 100 district and subdistrict government hospitals which are in rural and tribal areas. “There is a 1215 per cent staff shortage across all public medical facilities in the state. The responsibility to fill the vacant posts and hire doctors has been given to district collectors rather than officials of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS),” said a senior official.
Most of the BAMS doctors are serving hospitals in rural and tribal areas since more than ten years and yet they have not been made permanent. “The doctors who are working on temporary basis need to be made permanent. They also should be categorised in Group A and B according to their work experience,” added Dr Koli.
The doctors said MBBS doctors are not ready to work in the hospitals which are in rural or tribal areas. “It is the Ayurvedic doctors who are serving the public health care centres in the remote areas and we are appointed only on a temporary basis until an MBBS doctor is appointed there,” said Dr Vijay Jadhav.
He further added that the strike would continue for the next ten days until their demands do not get fulfilled.
Most of the BAMS doctors are serving in rural and tribal areas for more than 10 years and yet theier service is yet to be permanent