CG Junior Doctors Strike Enters 5th Day; DME Warns Against Stern Actions

RAIPUR: The indefinite strike of doctors entered its fifth day on Tuesday heavily affecting the Out Patient department. As many as 3,000 Junior doctors and many more senior doctors of the government medical college are on strike since Thursday last week, seeking appropriate stipends for interns, bonded doctors, and PG resident doctors.
Emergency services only are available at the hospital while OPD services have been suspended since then. The doctors have threatened a complete suspension of healthcare services if their demands are not met. The protests come against the backdrop of a statement made the state health miner three years ago where he promised to hike the stipend of govt doctors significantly.
Director, DME Dr. Vishnu expressing disappointment over the protest stated that the Health Miner has been taken into the loop and a letter has been sent to Bhupesh Baghel calling for a discourse on the said demands. He added, the doctors to be patient, cooperate and call off the protest. Dr Vishnu warned of serious actions if the protests were not called off.
In Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College under the aegis of the Junior Doctors Association, Dr. Prem Chaudhary is leading the protest with around 650 junior doctors. Under the banner of the United Doctors Front Association CG resident doctors are protesting.
UDFA state President Dr. Heera Singh Lodhi is leading the protest of resident doctors and the JUDA president Explaining their demands, Dr. Lodhi told Medical Dialogues, “Interns are currently getting Rs 12000 per month in the state, we are demanding Rs. 23000. On the other hand, post-MBBS bond service serving doctors are getting Rs. 45000 but we want Rs. 70000. MD or MS PG doctors are getting Rs. 53000 to 55000 while in Delhi and MP, they are getting Rs 90000. MCH and post-MD mandatory rural bond serving doctors are demanding Rs 1 lakh.”