Doctors have been demanding hike in salary, filling vacancies and regular supply of medicines
Government Hospital doctors in protest at Freedom Park before submitting their resignations
Bengaluru: Confusion prevailed in almost all the wards of KC General Hospital in the city on Monday afternoon after doctors were not present to attend to patients. On a normal day, the hospital sees around 1,000 outpatients and the ward that attends to these poor, helpless people was vacant as the doctors rushed to join the mass resignation campaign. Government doctors from across the state submitted their resignations voluntarily, en masse on Monday at the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare as asserted by the Karnataka State Medical Officer’s Association (KGMOA) on Sunday that there was no question of stepping back this time around. “Almost all the doctors at KC General Hospital went to submit resignations and to join the protest at Freedom Park to demand what is rightfully ours," said Dr Lakshmipati. Many patients had to return home without treatment as the doctors were not available, he said.
The doctors have been demanding, for the last six years, hike in salaries, filling up of vacancies, regular supply of medicines and proper work hours, among others, but the government is yet to respond to their demands. Healthcare services across the state were affected as government doctors from different places descended on Freedom Park to join the protest. Dr T.A. Veerbhadriah, President, KGMOA, said that they had given enough time for the government to look into their demands, but nothing had been done. “We had postponed the protests three times. Each time, we were told that changes would be made. But this time, the government pushed us to take the extreme step,” he said.
Health Minister U.T. Khader, Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil and other senior officials assembled at Vikas Soudha to look into the crisis. Refusing to budge, Mr Khader said that the government would take alternative measures and employ Ayush, Ayurveda and MBBS students to monitor the government hospitals across the state. “We have not accepted the resignations till now and we are yet to decide whether to accept them or not. The doctors cannot hold the government to ransom with such blackmailing tactics. But we are ready to hold talks with KGMOA members,” Mr Khader said.
“The protesters requested me that they want to meet the Chief Minister and it is likely to happen tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said. He expressed the doubt whether all the resignations were voluntary. “Many doctors called me and said that they were forced to resign. We will look into all these aspects and then take a decision,” he said.
CM to hold meeting with protesting doctors today
The state government will on Tuesday meet the government doctors, who resigned en masse on Monday. After meeting officials from his department, Health Minister U.T. Khader said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will chair a meeting on Tuesday and convince the doctors to withdraw their resignations and strike. Earlier in the day, Mr Siddaramaiah termed the doctors' agitation as'unreasonable' and offered to talk to them, if warranted. Mr Siddaramaiah said the doctors should not hold the people to ransom.
The resignation is not the only solution to all the problems. If the doctors wanted, he would talk to them and resolve the issues, he said. Mr Khader said that the people should not panic because of the mass resignation of doctors and the government was prepared to face the problem. The crisis is expected to be resolved during Tuesday’s meeting, he said.
( Source : joyeeta chakravorty )
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