Contract doctors sport black badges while at work at MGM College and Hospital on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Jan. 17: Over 100 contract doctors posted in various hospitals and primary health centres (PHCs) across Kolhan region today staged a black badge protest condemning the state government’s apathy in paying adequate compensation to family members of D.K. Mishra, a contract doctor in Chaibasa who committed suicide due to financial problems.

Mishra, who was posted at a primary health centre (PHC) in Chaibasa, was found in a trench near Chaibasa railway station cabin on January 15. He was missing from his house since January 12.

“Our protest is genuine. We demand proper compensation and a job for the victim’s family,” said president of the Kolhan unit of All Jharkhand Contract Doctors Association Mritunjay Kumar Singh.

Singh, who is also the secretary of the local chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that Mishra was drawing a monthly salary of Rs 20,000. “The doctor was working at the PHC since the last couple of years. Despite his dedication, the health department did not make him permanent, thus driving him to suicide,” said Singh.

Contract doctors of MGM Medical College and Hospital supported the agitation. “The objective of the agitation was not to hamper work but to give a message to the state government regarding our cause,” said a contract doctor of MGM Medical College and Hospital.

Singh said contract doctors of other districts also showed solidarity with the protest. He said that a delegation of contract doctors would leave for Ranchi tomorrow to meet chief minister Arjun Munda with their demands.

The strength of contract doctors has reduced from 1,800 in 2005 to about 400 now. A sizeable number of doctors have migrated to other states in search of better opportunities. “We are fighting for a single point agenda — regularisation of our service. We had much hope from the Arjun Munda government, who during his first stint as chief minister in 2005 had promised to regularise the service of contractual doctors,” said another senior functionary of the doctors association.