Mysuru, Sept 14: Seeking fulfillment of various demands, the Karnataka Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) on Monday decided to stop sharing of COVID and Non-COVID reports with the Government.
The KGMOA strike is supported by Indian Medical Association (IMA), Mysuru Chapter, MAHAN (Mysuru Association of Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Diagnostic Centres and Clinics) and Private Doctors Association.
The doctors are seeking fulfilment of long-standing demands like Ending pay disparity; Regularisation of all contract doctors who have completed three years of service; Security for doctors and other medical staff at work-place, among others.
The Executive Committee of KGMOA, which met at Bengaluru on Saturday, decided to submit a memorandum to Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all districts on Sept. 14. The memorandum says,: “The members of KGMOA would not submit any online or offline reports from Sept. 14 nor participate in any meetings of the DC, District Health Officer (DHO) or Health Department, whether offline or online. We will wait for one week.”
The memorandum further said that in case of no response from the Government, all services except emergency services will be stopped from Sept.21.
Giving an ultimatum to the Government, the KGMOA has also warned that a Bengaluru Chalo would be taken out on Sept.21 after stopping all non-emergency services, if the Government fails to respond to their demands by then.
The KGMOA said, currently doctors attached to the Medical Education Department are being paid according to AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) scale. While an MBBS doctor on AICTE scale gets about Rs. 1 lakh a month, a Health Department doctor gets less than Rs.70,000, according to KGMOA, which has sought an end to this pay disparity.
IMA Mysuru Chapter President Dr. Suresh Rudrappa said that the IMA is supportive of the KGMOA demands.
Clarifying that doctors will continue conduct of COVID-19 tests as usual, he said, however, they will not submit COVID as well as Non-COVID updates to the Government. This ‘Non Co-operation’ will continue till the Government concedes the demands of Health Department doctors, he said and added that all non-emergency medical services will be stopped from Sept.21 if the Government does not act by then
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