Doctors soften their stand on resignation

They hope to re-negotiate next year

After a meeting with the Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, Home Minister Acharya and Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda, the KGMOA came out in smiles and with a hike of 60 percent in their salaries. Accordingly, the Medical Officers have decided to withdraw their resignation letters, for now.

 “While we are not completely satisfied with the arrangement, in the current situation of the floods in North Karnataka, we have accepted it and will withdraw our resignations,” said President, KGMOA, Dr H N Ravindra. The president hoped that State would further increase their stipends and salaries when they would approach it next year. Apart from the hike, an emergency allowance of Rs 3,000 has also been granted by the State to all the doctors. The hiked allowance will be implemented from October 1 itself.

Briefing the media, the CM stated that most demands of the KGMOA had been met. KGMOA, which had had given September 29, 2009 as the deadline to submit their resignations to the Government if their demands were not met, were asked to wait till October 4, 2009 for a final word prior to the meeting held on Wednesday. The hike will have an immediate impact on 3,500 doctors in the State.

Flood Relief

Meanwhile, as a gesture of goodwill and co-operation, the KGMOA have agreed to forego their incentives for three months, October-December, 2009 amounting to Rs 15 crore towards the flood relief measures.

Thanking the association for their generous contribution, Chief Minister appealed to the doctors to be more humane towards the patients’ need.