Doctors continue protest, hold parallel OPDs

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 16

Doctors continued their protest against the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission today. Parallel OPDs were also held today by medical and veterinary doctors while other services like online consultation, elective surgeries, video conferences, webinars, unique disability identification camps, work related to Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana, meetings and office work were boycotted.

No wheelchair at hospital

In the absence of any wheelchair, a physically challenged person was seen crawling at the Civil Hospital. It is a common sight at the hospital as wheelchairs and stretchers are usually not available. When the second Covid wave was at peak, no stretcher was available for days altogether. Patients were carried inside the hospital in bedsheets by their family members.

Dr Rohit Rampal from the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) said parallel OPDs would be held tomorrow also. In case no decision regarding their demands was taken by Sunday then from Monday onwards they would go on an indefinite strike and hold dharna in Chandigarh, he added.

Chattinder Singh, district president of the Punjab State Veterinary Association, said they continued parallel OPDs throughout the state today.

Doctors today also met Member Parliament (MP) Ravneet Bittu during a meeting at the Mini Secretariat today. They submitted a memorandum regarding the Sixth Pay Commission to the MP.

Meanwhile, huge rush was witnessed at the Civil Hospital today. People were seen jostling with each other amidst pandemic.

People were also seen siting on floor in the sweltering conditions and waiting for their turn to meet doctors. “Sometimes doctors are on strike and sometimes they are seeing patients outside their office. I don’t know what their demands are, but the government should listen to them. On one side farmers are protesting and now doctors have started their agitation. Why has government turned deaf ear towards its own people,” said Himmat Singh, a visitor at the Civil Hospital.

Another patient rued that people were suffering and nobody was here to listen to them. Doctors are protesting against the government’s move to reduce their and veterinarians, medicos and allied professionals non-practicing allowance (NPA) from 25 to 20 per cent along with de-linking it from basic pay.