Hunger strike by Ayush doctors
As many as 400 doctors attached to the Karnataka Ayush Medical Officers’ Welfare Forum will go on a hunger strike at Freedom Park on July 31, demanding regularisation of their jobs.
The doctors have urged the Health department to make them permanent employees since they had been managing many primary health centres (PHC) without the help of MBBS doctors.
“We are given training in conducting delivery and post mortem. We also treat patients. Yet, we are not treated on a par with allopathic doctors,” said Forum president Dr Sangamesh.
He said they were paid far less than what an MBBS doctor on contract got in the Health department. Besides this, they were not given any facilities such as quarters which were given to their allopathic counterparts.
In the last four months, around 40 doctors have been relieved from duty, with MBBS doctors taking their place. Dr Sangamesh said out of 750 doctors in the health department, 150 managed a PHC each all by themselves.
