Doctors under the Kerala Government have been on a serial agitation for quite some time now. Today, they are on strike for the nth time.
The off and on stir, which began in December 2007 over pay revision, has been disrupting medical services in the State for long. Most of these days, barring some intervals, the doctors were on what they call the “non-cooperation’ or work to rule agitation. Crucial campaigns of the government were held at ransom.
Doctors may have a reason to ask for more especially when the prices are going up. The Government says it cannot revise the pay scales of just one category of government service on preferential basis. Instead, it agreed to pay some additional sums as allowances.
That did not satisfy the doctors. So, they have decided to put the patients at risk. It is high time that the Government either settled or suppressed the strike once for all. The people cannot be victims of perennial strikes.
There also seems to be a game plan by some quarters to keep the medical services in disarray to help the private hospitals. Besides doctors, equipments also strike work in government hospitals so often. Medicines and para medical staff are always in short supply.
The financial stringency of the government will not allow it to increase the salaries of government doctors on par with those in the private sector. The job market today is increasingly becoming competitive. If the doctors feel that they are competitive, they should quit government service and join the private hospital, instead of going on strike. If shortage of doctors in government service becomes acute, the government will increase salaries without the doctors having to launch an agitation. Will the doctors take the challenge instead of trying to undermine the system from within?
May 14, 2008 at 8:52 pm |
Hi
I wonder what doctors in other states are doing?
What about doctors in the Central Govt’s payrolls.
I am jus curious?
Is this a reaction only in Kerala?
May 15, 2008 at 3:29 am |
This strike is confined to Kerala. But strikes happen in other States also. Strikes by doctors under the Employees State Insurance Scheme managed by Central Government are also not rare.
May 16, 2008 at 4:54 am |
hi,
i am a doc in health services.i feel the govt should have rectified the prob in the last pay commision.do u know that the pay we get is far less compared to the lecturers and many other posts?and the work load is too much,we work day and night,on holidays and also on special duties,handle the administration of the hospital,conduct OP,attend casualty-all for a meagre sum of(i am ashamed to reveal it) around 13,000.after the cuts what i get is nearly 10,000.who can survive on that money in a far away place,when the rent of two houses have to be paid(one for the family back home and one where i work) and the expenses.and people have some misunderstanding abt private practice.not everybody has a roaring practice.and i dont have a private practice.dont talk just about how service minded doctors should be,we too need to survive.anyway i have decided to leave the country,not because of selfishness,but becoz i need to survive,and it is impossible to survive on 10,000 rupees a month.just waiting to see how the strike goes,to take my final decision to resign my job.
May 19, 2008 at 2:54 pm |
in my opinion teachers and doctors should be paid the highest. If it differs from the salary structure of rest of the govt employees, i dont mind!