SAMBALPUR: The Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) at VIMSAR has decided to resume cease work from May 1. The association cited non-fulfilment of their nine-point charter of demands by the Government as the reason behind the decision.
Association president Shankar Ramchandani said, “we were assured that our demands would be fulfilled by April 30 which led us to put on hold our proposed cease work from April 1. But, the State Government is yet to fulfil its commitment.”
Reiterating that the demands were pertaining to welfare of patients and development of VIMSAR, he said only one demand, shifting of female medicine ward to the new building, has been fulfilled. The rest remain unheard.
Earlier, the JDA had almost gone on cease work on April 1 till Director, VIMSAR, Dr Sonamali Bag showed them a letter from Health and Family Welfare Secretary Arati Ahuja and DMET PC Mohapatra in which they had sought time till third week of April to resolve the issue and meet the demands. The JDA decided to put on hold their cease work till April 30.
But with no action coming forth and Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak remaining elusive, the JDA was forced to take the decision to ensure that things move fast.
The cease work is bound to reflect on the medical services in VIMSAR, which is struggling with large-scale vacancies.
The unfulfilled demands include installation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, delegation of financial and administrative power to VIMSAR authorities, strengthening of security on the premises of VIMSAR, round-the-clock water and electricity supply to operation theatre, labour room, Special Newborn Care Unit, ICU, medicine wards besides hostels, hike in library fund and increase in library staff, filling up of vacant teaching and non-teaching posts, making the Regional Diagnostic Centre (RDC) functional round- the-clock and establishing a good canteen for doctors.