VIJAYAWADA: Senior Resident Doctors (SRDs) and final year PG medicos, who boycotted duties on Tuesday and Wednesday demanding stipend hike, which has been pending from January 2020, have decided to call off their stir for a week and resume duties immediately following talks with the State government. The SRDs and final year PG medicos, however, made it clear that they will not hesitate to continue their stir if the government fails to fulfil its assurances given to them.
The government has agreed to increase the stipend of SRDs from Rs 45,000 to Rs 70,000 per month and promised to look into their other demands within a week.“Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das and myself held talks with the SRDs and final year PG medicos to resolve the issue. The government has decided to enhance the stipend of SRDs to Rs 70,000,’’ Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal told the media, briefing the Covid-19 situation in the State on Wednesday evening.
Singhal said the SRDs put six to seven demands before them during the talks. “We will examine the demands which can be considered. We assured them that a decision will be taken on their demands within a week,” Singhal said, adding that they urged the Senior Resident Doctors and the final year PG medicos not to disrupt their services in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Singhal said apart from the increase in stipend, the SRDs wanted payment of the hike with retrospective effect from September last year instead of January this year and revision of their stipend whenever that of PG students is hiked.
“They also wanted that the final year PG students, whose exams were cancelled and recognised as SRDs, be given the stipend as that of SRDs. They also sought early conduct of their examinations and payment of stipend till their exams were held,’’ Singhal said, adding that the demands will be discussed with the government and GOs will be issued pertaining to the demands conceded.
Later in the night, the AP SRDs Association said the government heard their demands with a positive attitude. “We raised a few objections and sought clarifications regarding some proposals. The Chief Secretary promised to take our issues to the Chief Minister’s notice and resolve them within seven days,’’ the association said.
It further stated that it is a usual norm to wait for the GO to be released before calling off any agitation. “However, in view of the patient care during the pandemic, the SRDA and APJUDA have jointly decided to postpone the boycott for a week and resume duties immediately following the assurances given by the Chief Secretary, and respecting the appeal of the Principal Health Secretary, the association said.
‘Register with passport number for Covid jabs’: The State government, which decided to vaccinate students who intend to go abroad for higher studies, has appealed to such beneficiaries to register with their passport number instead of Aadhaar card number to get Covid jabs.
Some countries are verifying the vaccination certificate based on the passport number, Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal said, adding that there were instances when people faced problems as their vaccine certificates were based on Aadhaar card number. Once vaccine is taken on Aadhaar card number, there is no possibility of getting a revised certificate with the passport number as there is no such provision in CoWin App.
Stir suspended for a week
SRDs and final year PG medicos have made it clear that they will not hesitate to continue their boycott if the government fails to fulfil its assurances given to them within a week. The government has promised to look into their demands sympathetically