CHENNAI: Government doctors continued with their protest for the third day on Wednesday against alleged mistreatment by district collectors, directors and senior health department officials.
The doctors said they will continue to protest until all their demands discussed during the meeting with Health Secretary Supriya Sahu are met. The health secretary has responded positively to their demands.
Some of the demands include filling over 5,000 vacancies in government hospitals, conducting review meetings by collectors only during office hours, and not allowing childbirths in primary health centres lacking infrastructure to handle emergency cases.
They also wanted instructions to be issued to all collectors and directors to treat doctors with respect. Another request was to upgrade the workforce strength of doctors and paramedical staff according to patient census, and not according to National Medical Council norms.
The doctors affiliated to Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) also continued their one-day fever cases admission protest at primary health centres, non-taluk, taluk, and headquarters hospitals.
The mission director of the National Health Mission (MD-NHM) had instructed to admit even one-day-old fever cases which were opposed by the doctors.
Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) said they will continue their boycott protest by stopping all non-patient related activities like boycotting all official meetings, reviewing meetings by collectors and heads of institutions including the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, and exiting all official WhatsApp groups.