JOIN USWarning the striking government medicos of strict action, the State government on Monday said it had begun enlisting the services of private doctors, doctors hired on contract basis and Ayush doctors .
This is a stop-gap arrangement until government staff return to work. Health Minister Aravinda Limbavali told both Houses of the legislature that the government had met all the demands of the Health department Officials and Employees’ Welfare Association.
“I urge the doctors to report back to work. The patients are unnecessarily being made victims. Despite this, if the doctors continue their strike, the government will be forced to take stern action against them,” he said.
In the Assembly, he said the Cabinet sub-committee constituted to look into the problem would soon take a decision on bringing hospitals under Medical Education department back under the Health department.
Presently, seven hospitals are under the purview of the Medical Education department. “It’s a technical and legal decision – it is bound to take time to sort out this aspect. I am apprehensive that Medical Council of India may cancel the recognition of medical institutes, if the hospitals are brought back under the Health department,” Limbavali said, when Opposition legislators demanded that the Health department and Medical Education department be merged.
The committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka and comprising ministers Suresh Kumar, S A Ramdas and Limbavali has met once already.
As the meeting was inconclusive, the committee was scheduled to meet again this week.
Limbavali said he had held four meetings with the medicos till date and issues pertaining to pay revision, allowances, transfers and incentives had been addressed.
Within three or four days, the government would issue an order pertaining to the paramedics’ rural allowance and relaxation of transfer norms, he said.
‘Pressure tactics’
Limbavali said the Association was exerting pressure on the department time and again.
“In reality, there are no differences as I have agreed to all their terms and conditions. But the medicos keep coming up with additional demands once every few months,” he said.