Demanding pay parity with their counterparts in the Medical Education Department or pay revision as per the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) scale, 4,968 government doctors working in various health facilities run by the Health and Family Welfare Department have threatened to go on strike from September 15.
The doctors, under the banner of Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA), had met Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Health Minister B. Sriramulu on May 6 and submitted a detailed memorandum. Subsequently, in August, they met Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan and other top officials of the Health Department and submitted their demands. But, despite assurances there has been no development so far, said KGMOA president G.A. Srinivas, who is also the Bengaluru Urban District Health Officer (DHO).
The doctors, who are on frontline COVID-19 duty in various Health Department facilities, are upset that the government has been considering the demand for pay revision and incentives from various doctors’ associations, including Medical Education doctors and AYSUH doctors, without any delay. “We are not opposed to them getting higher salaries. What we are upset about is the fact that although we have been slogging during this COVID-19 crisis, the government is not bothered about our plight. Our demand for pay parity has been pending for years and the government has one excuse or the other whenever we raise our issues,” said a senior doctor from Bengaluru.
The doctor also pointed out that several government health workers, who were getting infected while on duty, were not getting the required medical facilities in the districts. “Doctors have been shifted to Bengaluru for want of ventilators. We have lost several doctors, and yet we are working without caring for our lives. The government can at least be considerate by revising our salaries,” he said, pointing out that they were getting less than half of what doctors in the Medical Education Department were being paid.
Dr. Srinivas said the Chief Minister and the Health Minister had assured the doctors in May that their demands would be considered in the next 15 days. “We put off our stir last month, keeping in mind that the Chief Minister and Health Minister had been hospitalised because of COVID-19. We have our general body meeting on Saturday and will again discuss this issue then. If there is no response from the government by then, we will strike from work from September 15,” he said.
On Monday, the association members again met Mr. Ashwath Narayan and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar. “They have responded positively. We will wait till September 15,” Dr. Srinivas said.