Patiala, July 12

Medical and dental teachers and resident PCMS doctors of Government Medical and Dental Colleges in the city observed one day complete protest against the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission report today.

The OPD and operation theatre services, along with classroom teaching of students, were completely suspended for the entire day in medical and dental colleges and attached hospitals of the city as a mark of protest. However emergency, indoor patient and Covid services, along with emergency medicolegal and post-mortem work, kept running smoothly during the protest.

Medical and dental teachers, along with resident PCMS doctors, from different departments organised a massive rally at Government Medical College and blocked the Patiala-Sangrur Highway as protest while making a strong appeal to the Punjab Chief Minister to accept their non-practising allowance (NPA) demand as early as possible so that patient care and teaching of students did not suffer any further. Doctors are demanding restoration of NPA, linking it with their basic pay and all other allowances. Doctors, said they might stop attending Covid duties for which the government would be responsible.—TNS