Putting Rajasthan in ‘doc’

The threat of crippled health service is looming large. With around 10,000 doctors expected to tender their resignation on Monday, government health facilities across the state medical and health services will be in dire straits and will have to hold its own. On Sunday, many rounds of negotiations between the government and in-service doctors, agitating in the support of their 33-point demands, produced no result.

After a two-hour long meeting held at Swasthya Bhavan on Sunday evening, in which health minister Kalicharan Saraf; principal secretary, health Veenu Gupta; principal secretary, home, Deepak Upreti and director, public health, Dr VK Mathur were present, office bearers of All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association (ARISDA), the body under which doctors are agitating, made it clear that all ten thousand government doctors in the state will hand over their resignations to director(public health) on Monday and they will not go on their duties at all the district hospitals, satellite hospitals, sub divisional hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres.

Government sought time till December 31 to take action on doctors’ demands, but doctors were adamant on written assurance from the government. ARISDA president Dr Ajay Chaudhary said that the government, instead of fulfilling doctors’ demand or giving any written assurance, is only giving oral assurance and they are not ready to accept it.“Doctors do not have intentions to create problems for patients by submitting mass resignation, but we are forced to do it,” said Dr Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, in the day time, chief minister also took feedback of the situation. Health minister Kalicharan Saraf told that government is ready to fulfill most of the demands. “We are committed to take positive action on most of the demands raised by doctors, but running hospitals in single shift can not be fulfilled as it is a matter related to public health services,” said Saraf.