BENGALURU: The proposed strike by the Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, was called off on Tuesday after the State government assured that the doctors’ demands would be addressed in a time-bound manner.
The decision followed a meeting held at Vidhana Soudha between representatives of health department staff associations and senior government officials, including Dinesh Gundu Rao and H. C. Mahadevappa.
During the meeting, the associations raised several long-pending service-related demands including amendments to cadre and recruitment rules, publication of seniority lists, promotions across cadres, filling of vacant posts, opportunities for higher education for in-service staff, issues related to transfers, and shortage of medicines in government hospitals.
The government assured that amendments to cadre and recruitment rules would be completed within two months and proposals would be submitted to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms. A separate executive order will also be issued to address hurdles faced in promotions under the existing rules.
Officials said provisional and final seniority lists of Group ‘A’ officers with 13 and 20 years of service in the Health and Family Welfare Department would be published within a week based on available records. The seniority list of medical officers will be published after receiving updated information from the Commissioner’s office, while most other cadres’ seniority lists have already been released.
The government also informed that Group ‘A’ doctors have already been promoted to the posts of Joint Director and Additional Director under service rules and that further promotions will be carried out after the final seniority list is published. Promotions for Group ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ cadres are also underway.
On the issue of medicine shortages, the minister said steps are being taken to streamline procurement through the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited. Tenders have been floated for more than 500 medicines and Rs 30 crore has been released to districts for procurement.
The government also said steps are being taken to fill vacant posts in the department. The meeting further discussed the redeployment of Maternal and Child Health specialists to better-equipped centres to ensure round-the-clock services. Following the assurances given during the meeting, the association decided to withdraw the planned strike.