Joining the ongoing stir against Manipur's government alleged lackadaisical attitude towards the doctors under All Manipur Health Services Doctors' Association (AMHSDA), doctors of Ukhrul district staged a sit-in protest at district hospital, Hungpung on Friday demanding to fulfill the association's genuine charter of demands.
The doctors donned black badges while on duty to show their deep resentment and staged a sit-in protest from 10 am at the front gate of Ukhrul district hospital Hungpung, Ukhrul.
During the protest, the doctors expressed their grievances and further alleged lackadaisical attitude of the state government towards them.
Despite the association’s repeated appeals and approaches to settle the long pending issues and demands, our genuine demands have fallen on deaf ears. This stoic silence maintained by the state government has necessitated us to resort into extreme form of democratic agitation, the agitating doctors thundered.
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It may be mentioned that doctors under AMHSDA have been demanding the state government to fulfill their eight charters of demands. Following Manipur's government repeated failure to hear their genuine voice even though they had appealed the government umpteen times, the agitating doctors decided to raise their voice in the form of extreme democratic sit-in protest to drive home their discontentment.
The demands placed by the AMHSDA include time-bound promotion; enhancement of superannuation age to 65 years as declared by Prime Minister Modi; creation of director general post and under namely director health services; director family welfare services; director public health and director medical education.
Other demands include NPA fixation with effect from January 1, 2016 as per 7th pay commission.
Stating that Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) is under Manipur government and demands have been granted, the doctors questioned why not for the doctors under Manipur Health Services Doctors.
It also demanded to "strictly abide by the Transfer and Posting Policy of Health Services 2017."
Any MHS doctors are eligible to hold the highest post by virtue of seniority; implementation of proposed MHS Rules 2020 and Amendments and provision of risks and difficult area posting allowance were the eight charters of demands the association has been demanding the state government to fulfill for the welfare of the doctors.
The protesting doctors in Ukhrul district also expressed their unceasing support and avowed commitment to AMHSDA in any future course of action it takes should the state government fails to fulfil the long-standing charter of demands.
