Patna, July 17: Doctors working on ad hoc basis in hospitals across the state assembled for a meeting today and demanded better service conditions.
The meeting was organised by Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) — a body representing government medical professionals in the state. BHSA announced that an 11-member state-level cell would be constituted that would monitor problems faced by contractual doctors at workplace.
“The step has been taken because around 1,600 doctors in the state face humiliation and ill-treatment at the hands of district magistrates (DMs) and junior administrative officials,” said Dr Ranjit Kumar, BHSA secretary. He added: “There have been cases where doctors have been dismissed from service by DMs without any explanation. This shows the difficult circumstances under which the contractual doctors are made to work.”
The body also welcomed the state government’s decision to give a nod to the Medical Service Institution and Personal Protection bill and Clinical Establishment (registration and regulation) Act during the present monsoon session of the Assembly but said the final approval could be given only after clauses of the act were made public.
The organisation demanded regularisation of the contractual doctors and benefits like dearness allowance, house rent allowance, rural allowance and others.
At the meeting, the doctors working on an ad hoc basis also demanded to be declared gazetted officers.
“At present, contractual doctors are appointed at the district level. We demand their appointment on state level through interviews, as there is no transparency in the system. Similarly, the government should pay heed to pending demands of dentists. No permanent dentists have been recruited in the state for the past 28 years. Those dentists who have been working on contract for over two years should be regularised,” said a senior BHSA member.
For regular government doctors, BHSA demanded a pay scale similar to those at the Centre and an extension of retirement age from 62 to 65. “In view of shortage of doctors in the state, the retirement age of doctors be extended to 65,” BHSA said in a proposal passed today.
In a meeting last month, BHSA members had vowed to opt for a mass voluntary retirement scheme if no steps were taken to fulfil their demands of improving poor working conditions within two months.
They had set a deadline of August 5 to fulfil their nine-point demand.
The main demands of doctors included implementation of Andhra Pradesh-model of Medical Professional Protection Act, same s alary structure as that of central government employees, a ban on private practice for government doctors with non-practice allowance, constitution of special security force for doctors at work, more powers for health directorate, a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of Dr Budhdeo Singh, who was beaten to death by a group of inmates at Gopalganj jail on May 29, regularisation of doctors working on a contractual basis and retirement age of doctors be extended from 62 to 65 among others.
The step has been taken because about 1,600 such doctors in the state face humiliation and misbehaviour by district magistrates (DM) and other junior administrative officials often. There have been cases where doctors have been dismissed from service by DMs without any explanation. This shows under what circumstances contractual doctors are made to work
Dr Ranjit Kumar, Bihar Health Services Association secretary
