Protest likely to affect medical services today

Members of the Karnataka Health Department Officers and Employees’ Welfare Committee will go on a hunger strike from February 4 demanding fulfillment of their demands that include withdrawal of 10 district hospitals from Medical Education Department.

Their other demands include amendment to transfer policy and crediting salary on the first of every month.

On anatomy of the strike, the Committee members said it would be conducted in three stages. The hunger strike in the first phase will be followed by boycott of administrative work in all directorates on February 6. In the last phase, medical services across the State will be hit, as both employees and officers will strike work on February 8, the Committee members said.

Committee’s honorary president Dr H N Ravindra and president Rangegowda in a joint release issued said they postponed the strike to be held in December 2012 to January 15, due to the intervention of chief minister and medical education minister.

“The ministers’ assurance to address our demands in three weeks was not met. Now that the deadline is well past, we have decided to go on a hunger strike from February 4,” they said.