Except for Covid-19 and emergency duty, around 10,000 government doctors in Gujarat are all set to sit on an indefinite strike by withdrawing from all duties from December 13. The strike is in the wake of the non-implementation of a government resolution that addressed the issues like non-practicing allowance, promotion, salary increment and pension for the government doctors among others.
The strike will be participated by the doctors across government hospitals, government medical colleges, Gujarat Medical Education Research Society and teachers of government medical colleges. Also, the doctors in protest have intimidated their withdrawal from Covid-19 and emergency duties within two days of the strike, if their 16 demands are not accepted by the government.
The said resolution was issued in the context of the demands dating back to 2012 under the former Chief Minister of the state, Vijay Rupani government on May 16 this year. Six months later, the resolution was yet not implemented and the state health department on November 22 issued a second resolution, withdrawing the earlier one.
The doctors took out rallies in six municipal corporation cities of the state on December 4, making representations to bring back the May resolution. Along with this, they had submitted a memorandum to the state health department on December 6, of which they didn’t receive any response.
The doctors are of the view that the implementation of the said resolution will solve numerous issues within the departments, the contractual hires by the government will come to an end and the issue of long hindered promotions of senior doctors will be resolved.
