CHENNAI: Members of the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, who had been on fast unto death for the last one week at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, called off their protest, following a request from various doctors associations on Monday.The doctors are demanding pay parity with Central government doctors.Speaking to reporters, Dr K Senthil, chairman, Joint Action Committee of Government Doctors Associations, said that the next course of action would be decided after the JACGDA meeting in Dindigul on July 14.
“We hope the government will fulfil our demands. If not, we will intensify our protest. Our protests are planned in such a way that patients’ care is not affected. But if our demands are not met, we will be forced to go to that level also,” he added.
The doctors said the entry-level salary for state government doctors and Central government doctors is the same, but in the Central government, promotions are quicker, as also increase in salary. But, in the state government service, promotions are delayed at least by over 10 years. The government has also not implemented dynamic assured career progression under which promotions are based on vacancies and not on years of completion of service.