SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 1: The Jharkhand Health Services Association (JHSA), the frontal organization of state government doctors, has set August 15 as the deadline for the health department to implement the long pending 15-point charter of demands.
JHSA state secretary Dr Thakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh said that Principal Secretary Health Ajay Kumar Singh, in a meeting with a joint delegation of the JHSA and the IMA on May 29, assured to fulfil their demands. But even after 33 days of assurance, no positive sign has come from the health department on demands. So, the JHSA has set a deadline, he added.
Dental Wing, North Chhotanagpur Division
The resolution of the deadline of August 15 was taken at the meeting of the Dental Wing, North Chhotanagpur Division held at Bokaro Sector 6 Club on Sunday evening. Besides JHSA secretary Dr Thakur, state president Dr PP Shah, convener Dr Shamim Akhtar, Dr Lal Majhi, Dr Sharad and other senior office bearers were also present.
Dr Thakur said that the principal secretary had endorsed all 15 points demanded on May 29 and asked doctors to concentrate on biometric attendance and complete the target given under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Doctors are following his directive but no move has been initiated for implementation of demands so far, he pointed out.
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Health secretary will take demands seriously: JHSA
“So, the JHSA has given a long time (45 days) to the government for implementation. Since the principal secretary of health is sensitive, the JHSA hopes he will take the demands of doctors seriously and execute them before August 15,” said the JHSA secretary.
Dr Thakur, at the same time, also warned that in case demands are not implemented till August 15, the JHSA would not be responsible for the agitation by the ignored doctors of the state.
Main demands
The main demands of JHSA are the promotion of doctors. After the creation of Jharkhand, no doctor of the state has been given promotion in 24 years so far. Even the 1988 batch of doctors in the state are still medical officers.
The other demands included dynamic ACP to doctors at par with the central government medicos, special facilities for doctors posted in remote areas, rural allowance, Enhancement of doctors’ posts on a population basis, immediate withdrawal of Licensing examination ( National Exit Test) of medical students for practising, amendment in PCPNDT Act, and making medical profession free from criminal prosecution.
