600 doctors from Jamnabai General Hospital on strike, demand for equal pay

Resident doctors of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) in government hospitals across the state are now on strike demanding equal pay and stipend. 600 doctors from Jamnabai General Hospital in Vadodara went on strike which affected the medical services. They demonstrated their protest inside the hospital compound with placards and chanted slogans.

As many as 22 CPS doctors on duty at Jamnabai General Hospital on Mandvi Road in Vadodara went on strike. Recently there was a fierce agitation in GMERS, Gujarat In-Service Physicians Association, and Nursing Association over their long-pending demands. However, the government resolved their issues.

Now resident doctors of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in government hospitals across the state are on strike demanding equal pay, stipend increase, and appointment of a Special Officer in place of the Medical Officer.

Dr. Nilesh, who is on duty at Jamnabai General Hospital and a Leader of the Association, said that recently, Gujarat Government has increased the stipend of Resident and Intern doctors by 40 percent. CPS doctors are also working as much as the Resident and intern doctors and they demand that their stipend should also be increased by 40%. He said that after completing the degree, they are given a bond of one year to provide services in rural villages. But they are being given the duty of an MBBS doctor, even though they have completed their degree with a specialization. He said that if they are appointed as doctors in their own specialized fields, they will be able to provide better care and service to the people. So their second demand is the one-year bond should be of them being appointed as a specialized doctor.

They had presented their demands online but there was no response to that. They have also given a written appeal but again there was no response, hence they decided to protest.