Patna, June 2: The state government’s decision to cut a day’s salary of the doctors for going on strike on May 31 in protest against the murder of their colleague Dr Budhdeo Singh in Goplganj has left medics fuming.

Dr Ajay Kumar, the general secretary of the Bihar Health Services Association, the body representing most of the doctors in the state government services, said it was unfair on the government’s part.

“We have not been informed about the state government’s decision in writing yet but it is unfair and unfortunate if they are planning to cut our salary. Ours was not a strike but boycott of duty following the incident in which one of our colle- agues was killed by criminals for no reason. And we just registered our protest,” Kumar said.

“The government itself has admitted that Dr Singh died because of administrative carelessness. Hence, it should understand how safety and security of doctors are at stake across the state. Besides, there is no logic behind salary cut when the doctors went to hospitals and marked their attendance. They also made sure that patients did not suffer because of the strike and asked the routine patients to come the next day. Those who needed emergency services were referred to the centres functioning normally. So doctors should not be punished,” Kumar said.

Another senior member of the association, Dr Ranjit Kumar, said the government was being too harsh on the doctors by deciding to cut their salaries.

“All doctors were present at their centres and assisted patients by asking them to come the next day or referring them to other hospitals. Hence, it cannot be said that they were on strike and there is no point in cutting their payments,” he said.

Some other doctors suggested that the government should use the unpaid amount to give compensation to the grief-stricken family of Dr Singh.

“Dr Singh’s family has been given only Rs 10 lakh. Even police on duty who die to violence are paid Rs 27 lakh. A doctor, whose job is to heal and serve patients, died because of mindless violence and the government washed its hands off by announcing Rs 10 lakh compensation. If our salaries are cut, it should be collected and handed over to the family in grief,” a government doctor said.

Health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha was adamant on the government’s decision to cut the salaries of the doctors who had defied government’s appeal and proceeded on strike.

“We are only enforcing the rule of no work no pay framed by the finance department following the Supreme Court directive. Even if doctors marked their attendance, they did not work and so they will not be paid for the day,” Sinha said.

On the day of the strike, private clinics in the state capital cashed in on the sufferings of patients. A large number of ailing people were seen thronging the clinics in Kankerbagh, Boring Road, Boring Canal Road and Kadamkuan areas, where a number of private practitioners have set up their health establishments.

Doctors boycott work on May 31

State government decides to cut salary of doctors who went on strike

Compensation of Rs 10 lakh given to slain doctor’s family