The Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) has urged the State government for proper implementation of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) to ensure pay and promotion opportunities for government doctors.
A review of Government Order 354 that guarantees remuneration hikes and promotions has been pending since 2017. The doctors were demanding pay band-4 at 12 years of service as per a prospective clause of GO 354 for a number of years now, A. Ramalingam, convenor of FOGDA, told reporters on Wednesday.
“Instead, the Health Department is offering us allowances according to specialisations. Our demand for review of GO 354 is not about hike in pay but long-pending promotions. We want proper implementation of DACP that is exclusive for government doctors. In Tamil Nadu, the government implemented DACP in 2009, fixing the promotion and pay hike at 15, 17 and 20 years of service instead of four, nine and 13 years like that of the Central government doctors,” he said.
The FOGDA urged the government to consider their demands and come up with an announcement in the ongoing Assembly session. Dr. Ramalingam said that government doctors were at the forefront of COVID-19 care but the State government was not considering their long-pending demands.
“Two government orders were issued for 50% service quota for broad specialities, super specialities and dental specialities in postgraduate medical education. The government should pass a Special Ordinance in this session,” he added.
The association demanded rectification of discrepancies that occurred due to a restructuring exercise as per GO 4(D)2 and to create posts of doctors according to the number of patients. They also demanded conduct of transfer counselling for service PGs in a transparent manner and change of timings for mini clinics.
