Hyderabad
Nov. 15: The ongoing junior doctors’ strike, demanding a steep increase in their montly stipend, is not the first in the history of the state.
Every year, the doctors go on strike following an initial difference of opinion and, later, alleged indifference shown by the state government in responding to their demands.
In 2007, trouble arose when some junior doctors were attacked by relatives of a patient and activists of a political party.
Though senior doctors resumed work after an assurance from the state government that security in hospitals would be beefed up, the junior doctors were not convinced and continued with the strike till the Essential Services Maintenance Act was invoked. The strike was called off after 12 days.
The following year, in 2008, the AP Government Doctors Association undertook a relay hunger strike in Hyderabad and other parts of the state in support of their pending demands. The junior doctors joined in.
In 2009, the junior doctors called a strike in support of their demand for a steep rise in their stipend as against their counterparts in the other states, who were being paid three-four times more.
To press their demands, seven junior doctors from different medical colleges, led by the APJUDA convenor, Dr S. Nagesh, are currently sitting on an indefinite hunger strike. On all three occasions, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has ruled that the strike must end. In the latest instance, too, a PIL has been filed in the High Court, which will be heard on Monday.
The state government has submitted a proposal of the increased stipend structure to the state Election Commission. Since the code of conduct is in vogue, in view of the GHMC elections, the state government cannot announce any other programme or scheme without the prior approval of the Election Commission.
“Once the proposal is approved, the junior doctors will get a 75 per cent hike in their stipend and a 15 per cent hike in the stipend every two years,” said Mr J. Satyanarayana, principal secretary, department of health and family welfare, Andhra Pradesh.
But the state government’s offer has not gone down well with the junior doctors.
“There was a committee formed on the direction of the High Court, which submitted its recommendations to the state government in 2008. We want a revision of the stipend based on those recommendations,” said Dr G. Raghu Kishore, treasurer of APJUDA.
Significantly, the committee, consisting of the then director of Medical Education (DME), Mr K. N. Sudha Ramani, Mr G. Sai Gopal (former DME), Registrar of NTR Health University, Prof. T. Venugopala Rao and two representatives of junior doctors, submitted its report to the state government on in December 20, 2008 with the sole purpose of finalising the stipend for interns and post-graduates.
According to the sixth recommendation submitted by the committee, “After extension of the UGC Scales, the pay scales of these members of the teaching faculty will be de-linked from the state government Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and will be linked to the UGC scales and whenever UGC pay scales and allowances are revised, such revision will automatically be implemented to these teaching faculty also.”
It further read: “The structured pay scales will consist of basic pay, annual increment and other allowances.”
Dr S. Nagesh, APJUDA convenor, said: “Once this is implemented, the issue will be sorted.”
But the medical education minister, Mr P. Sudarshan Reddy, said: “We cannot create a separate pay structure for them at par with government employees. This increase itself will put a financial burden of Rs 20-25 crore on the state annually, we cannot extend it further.” Mr Reddy said that for the release of the extra amount, too, the Chief Minister and the state finance department “had to be convinced a lot.”
Nov. 15: The ongoing junior doctors’ strike, demanding a steep increase in their montly stipend, is not the first in the history of the state.
Every year, the doctors go on strike following an initial difference of opinion and, later, alleged indifference shown by the state government in responding to their demands.
In 2007, trouble arose when some junior doctors were attacked by relatives of a patient and activists of a political party.
Though senior doctors resumed work after an assurance from the state government that security in hospitals would be beefed up, the junior doctors were not convinced and continued with the strike till the Essential Services Maintenance Act was invoked. The strike was called off after 12 days.
The following year, in 2008, the AP Government Doctors Association undertook a relay hunger strike in Hyderabad and other parts of the state in support of their pending demands. The junior doctors joined in.
In 2009, the junior doctors called a strike in support of their demand for a steep rise in their stipend as against their counterparts in the other states, who were being paid three-four times more.
To press their demands, seven junior doctors from different medical colleges, led by the APJUDA convenor, Dr S. Nagesh, are currently sitting on an indefinite hunger strike. On all three occasions, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has ruled that the strike must end. In the latest instance, too, a PIL has been filed in the High Court, which will be heard on Monday.
The state government has submitted a proposal of the increased stipend structure to the state Election Commission. Since the code of conduct is in vogue, in view of the GHMC elections, the state government cannot announce any other programme or scheme without the prior approval of the Election Commission.
“Once the proposal is approved, the junior doctors will get a 75 per cent hike in their stipend and a 15 per cent hike in the stipend every two years,” said Mr J. Satyanarayana, principal secretary, department of health and family welfare, Andhra Pradesh.
But the state government’s offer has not gone down well with the junior doctors.
“There was a committee formed on the direction of the High Court, which submitted its recommendations to the state government in 2008. We want a revision of the stipend based on those recommendations,” said Dr G. Raghu Kishore, treasurer of APJUDA.
Significantly, the committee, consisting of the then director of Medical Education (DME), Mr K. N. Sudha Ramani, Mr G. Sai Gopal (former DME), Registrar of NTR Health University, Prof. T. Venugopala Rao and two representatives of junior doctors, submitted its report to the state government on in December 20, 2008 with the sole purpose of finalising the stipend for interns and post-graduates.
According to the sixth recommendation submitted by the committee, “After extension of the UGC Scales, the pay scales of these members of the teaching faculty will be de-linked from the state government Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and will be linked to the UGC scales and whenever UGC pay scales and allowances are revised, such revision will automatically be implemented to these teaching faculty also.”
It further read: “The structured pay scales will consist of basic pay, annual increment and other allowances.”
Dr S. Nagesh, APJUDA convenor, said: “Once this is implemented, the issue will be sorted.”
But the medical education minister, Mr P. Sudarshan Reddy, said: “We cannot create a separate pay structure for them at par with government employees. This increase itself will put a financial burden of Rs 20-25 crore on the state annually, we cannot extend it further.” Mr Reddy said that for the release of the extra amount, too, the Chief Minister and the state finance department “had to be convinced a lot.”
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