Farmers Movement Archive

Rural doctors on Covid duty in Punjab threaten strike

At a time when the Punjab health department is facing an alarming rise in coronavirus cases, over 530 rural medical officers (RMOs) in the state have decided to boycott their Covid-19 duties from April 25.The decision was taken in view of the state government failing to extend benefits under the Dynamic Assured Career Progression Scheme (DACP) to the RMOs.Dr JP Singh Narula, state president, Federation of Association of Rural Medical Officers of Punjab, said that RMOs are serving in the rural areas of Punjab since 2006. “In 2015, the cadre became eligible for DACP, but to date, this demand of RMOs remains unfulfilled,” he said.Besides serving in rural areas, the RMOs remained on the forefront while performing Covid-related duties, he said.“All frontline duties like ICU isolation, sampling and RRT are also being performed by the cadre. But the government is denying us our legitimate right,” Dr Narula.On the other hand, rural development minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa said that talks were on with the association members to end the current impasse. “Efforts are on to convince the doctors to withdraw the strike call,” said Bajwa.Harminder Singh Mavi, state president, Panchayat Union Punjab, has come out in support of the RMOs. He said that the people living in villages were not the priority of both the state and central governments.”“While the Centre is not withdrawing the controversial farm laws despite thousands of farmers protesting at the Singhu border at the peak of the pandemic, the state government is playing a cruel joke on the people living in villages by pulling out all the doctors from rural areas and replacing them with nurses. The doctors are also being denied increments,” said Mavi.

Hindustan Times

17-04-2021

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