CHANDIGARH: To put pressure on the Punjab government to roll back its decision of delinking non-practising allowance (NPA) from their basic pay, government doctors abstained from their duties across the state on Friday.
Doctors have been protesting against the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission accepted by the Punjab government in which apart from other allowances, NPA being given to doctors has been reduced and delinked from basic pay.
NPA will also not be considered for pension purposes.
Emergency services and Covid-related duties were exempted from the strike, whose call was given by Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), associations of rural medical officers, dental, ayurvedic, homoeopathic, veterinary officers and medical teachers association.
Outpatient departments (OPDs) remained closed while all elective surgeries were deferred in all government-run hospitals.
Protest marches and dharnas were held at all district and sub-division hospitals, community health centres and government medical colleges.
PCMSA president Dr Singh said the government must accept the genuine demands of doctors in public interest, failing which the agitation will be intensified.
“The doctors were expecting some special allowance due to the work done by them and other health employees during Covid,” he said, adding the doctors are feeling cheated as their salaries have been reduced.
Ferozepur PCMSA president Dr Jatinder Kochhar and general secretary Dr David Augustin said reducing NPA to 20% from 25% amounted to discrimination and injustice with doctors who were Covid warriors.
PCMS state president Dr Gagandeep Singh, said, “We had hoped for a financial gift from the 6th Pay Commission…
reduced NPA has resulted in huge financial loss to the community.
Instead, the NPA allowance should be increased to 33% and it should continue to be part of the basic pay.”