Unkept promises are poll issues for govt. doctors
The Hindu
Unkept promises have left hundreds of government doctors a disappointed lot. After being at the centre of COVID-19 care for a year, several government doctors feel the government’s unfulfilled assurances, including the long-pending pay hike and promotions, will be the main issues for them at the Assembly election.
In the last few years, government doctors staged various forms of protests — including a seven-day strike by members of the Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) in October 2019 — and held several rounds of talks with the Health Department to resolve the long-pending issues. While these demands remained unmet, the Chief Minister, at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, assured healthcare providers/workers on COVID-19 duty of a one-month special pay. Later, the government announced ₹2 lakh in ex gratia for those who contracted the infection. Both promises are yet to reach them. “Having seen the COVID-19 crisis, the government should have fulfilled its assurances. Government doctors managed 90% of the COVID-19 patients at the primary, secondary and tertiary level,” FOGDA convener A. Ramalingam said.More Related News