Ludhiana: Protesting against the government for reducing their perks after implementing the Sixth Pay Commission, doctors at the civil hospital stalled the OPD and other services on Friday.
Patients had to suffer due to the strike.Holding placards in support of their demand, protesters raised slogans against the state government and the finance minister.
Talking to mediapersons, Dr Avinash Jindal said they had hoped the government would think favourably about them ahead of the elections by increasing their salary as part of the Sixth Pay Commission report.
He said now they feel that every section was troubled, especially government employees, as clerks, including those of the health department and the DC office, were also on a strike.“Instead of appreciating healthcare workers’ efforts during the pandemic, the government disappointed them by reducing their salary instead of hiking it,” he added.The protesting doctor said after 86 days’ agitation in 1989, they had got non-practising allowance (NPA), but after 32 years the government reduced it and it would not only affect the serving health workers, but also the pensioners as pensions would be cut too.“If they don’t concede to our demand, we will intensify our agitation.
If our demand is still not met, we will campaign door to door in the coming state elections,” Dr Jindal warned.Protesters said Punjab civil medical services (PCMS), rural doctors, medical officers, and ayurvedic doctors had also joined the protest.Meanwhile, as the OPDs didn’t function, patients had to suffer.
“I had come to get myself examined as I was feeling weak for the past few days.
But due to the strike, I returned home and would visit the civil hospital again on Saturday,” said Surjit Singh, a resident of Old City.
Some pregnant women, who had come for a check-up, also returned empty-handed due to the strike.Emergency services not hitEven as OPD services were affected due to the strike by doctors at the civil hospital, emergency services functioned normally.