Hry doc body warns of complete shutdown of medical services on Dec 8-9

Chandigarh: In a strong warning to the state govt, the Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS) Association announced that all medical services, including OPD, emergency, post-mortem, labour room, and operation theatre, will be completely shut on Dec 8 and 9 if the govt fails to fulfil its long-pending commitments. The association further cautioned that an indefinite shutdown will begin from Dec 10 onward should the issues remain unresolved. "It will be the sole responsibility of the govt for any inconvenience caused to the public," said Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president of the association.The announcement followed a meeting of the State Action Committee of the HCMS Association held on Sunday, where members voiced strong resentment over what they described as the govt's "insensitive and callous" approach toward genuine demands of the HCMS cadre. Members said they felt betrayed by the non-fulfilment of assurances given by the govt more than a year ago. A key pending matter is the govt's earlier promise to stop direct recruitment of Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) and instead fill all such posts through promotion after amending service rules. Despite this commitment, the association highlighted that 200 of the 644 SMO posts remain vacant, with 160 positions still blocked for direct recruitment due to the lack of rule amendments.The association also reiterated its proposal that specialists should not be appointed directly to SMO administrative posts. Instead, it suggested compensatory measures such as Specialist Incentive, Ayushman Incentive, or optional NPA to attract and retain specialists without disrupting the promotional hierarchy.Another major concern involves the long-standing demand for Assured Career Progressions (ACPs). While the association initially sought four ACPs at 4, 9, 13, and 20 years of service on par with central norms, it last year agreed to a revised structure of three ACPs at 5 years (6600 GP), 10 years (8000 GP), and 15 years (9500 GP). Although this revised proposal was approved by both the chief minister and the finance department, it has yet to be formally notified. Dr Khyalia said the govt's delay has once again pushed doctors toward agitation.MSID:: 125672310 413 |