IGMC doctors threaten to go on mass leave on Oct 4

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 29

Doctors will report for work wearing black ribbons at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) from Friday onwards over the government’s indifference to their pending demands despite assurances.

“If the government continues to ignore our long-standing demands over the next couple of days, we will proceed on mass casual leave on October 4,” said State Association of Medical and Dental Teachers (SAMDCOT) president Dr Rajesh Sood. The decision was taken in the general body meeting of SAMDCOT here today.

“The government had assured us that our demands would be approved and had set up a committee more than six month back for recommending our demands. Unfortunately, the committee has conducted just one meeting in over six month and has not made any recommendations to the government. So we have no choice but to register our protest,” said Dr Sood.

One of their major demands is the grant of academic allowance to the faculty in medical colleges. “There’s a disparity in the salary of medical college faculty and the doctors in the field. The latter get PG allowance but it’s not given to the teaching faculty. We are demanding the medical college faculty should get academic allowance to end this disparity,” said Dr GK Verma, general secretary, SAMDCOT.

“Besides, we are demanding time bound promotion in medical colleges. In departments where posts are not vacant, the doctors are given the higher designation without any financial benefits. We want the designation should come with financial benefits and this period should be counted in seniority list,” said Dr Verma.

They are against deputing doctors from the IGMC to other medical colleges. “We are not opposed to deploying doctors for a short term at other medical colleges at the time of inspections. But it’s not right to deploy doctors at other colleges for as long as six months,” said Dr Sood. “Also, we are opposing the government’s decision to make the post of principal transferrable,” said Dr Sood.

They are also protesting extension and re-employment to faculty members.

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