Junior doctors across Andhra Pradesh intensify strike to demand hike in stipend

Amaravati, Aug 17 (IANS) Demanding a hike in stipend, junior doctors across Andhra Pradesh on Monday began a total boycott of emergency services, disrupting healthcare delivery in government medical colleges and teaching hospitals.

Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA) had given a call for the boycott of emergency services to press for their demands, including long-pending stipend revision.

About 9,000 resident doctors, medical interns, junior residents, super-speciality postgraduates, senior residents, and doctors deployed under the District Residency Programme (DRP) scheme were staying away from duties, affecting Intensive Care Units, casualty wards, and labour rooms.

Junior doctors in all 19 government medical colleges in the state are participating in the strike.

The phased strike began on August 11 with a time-bound withdrawal of non-emergency services. With no written assurance coming from the government, APJUDA intensified its protest.

Non-emergency healthcare services remained fully suspended across all government teaching hospitals, superspeciality units, and peripheral medical colleges.

The government said it has made arrangements to ensure that patients do not face difficulties due to the junior doctors’ strike. The department of health is continuously reviewing the situation with District Collectors, medical college principals, and hospital superintendents.

Additional doctors are being kept on standby wherever needed. Special arrangements are being made to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of emergency departments, ICUs, maternity services, operation theatres, NICU, PICU, dialysis units, and trauma services, it said.

Measures are being taken to ensure the availability of medicines, oxygen, blood, and essential medical supplies, said an official release.

According to APJUDA, the stipend hike has been pending since January 1. As per an order issued by the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department in 2009, there will be a biennial revision of junior doctors’ stipends by about 15 per cent.

APJUDA leaders said despite repeated appeals, the authorities failed to give a clear assurance on a stipend hike, forcing them to go on strike in a phased manner.

While APJUDA demanded a 15 per cent hike in stipend, the government has offered a 3 per cent hike for postgraduate junior doctors and a 5 per cent hike for house surgeons and interns.

APJUDA is also demanding implementation of National Medical Commission norms in recruiting MSc and PhD holders to clinical faculty posts. It is also opposing a proposed increase in the retirement age of doctors from 62 to 65 years.

The government said during the talks APJUDA was informed that although the Finance Department is not favourably inclined towards a 15 per cent hike given the current financial situation, there is a proposal to implement a specific percentage increase annually for interns and PG students.

It assured them that this annual increment process would be maintained. The government urged the junior doctors to accept the proposed hike, taking into account the state’s financial condition and the implementation of public welfare schemes.

According to an official release, the government spends approximately Rs 586.08 crore annually on stipends for 9,501 junior doctors.

If the demand for a 15 per cent hike in stipend is accepted, the government will incur an additional annual expenditure of approximately Rs 87.91 crore.

–IANS

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