Govt Doctors strike called off...

Express News Service
First Published : 14 Nov 2008 09:21:00 AM IST
BANGALORE: After prolonged negotiations with the government, agitating government doctors called off the four-day strike and would resume work on Friday.
The Karnataka Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) agreed to resume work after the government promised to fulfil three of their four demands, while constituting a panel headed by a senior bureaucrat to consider their demand to ensure pay on par with those doctors working in medical colleges.
Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu, Home Minister V S Acharya and Transport Minister R Ashok held talks with representatives of the association for over two hours before striking a deal to end the agitation.
According to the deal, the government would immediately stop recruiting doctors on contract basis and would regularise services of all contract doctors who have completed three years of service.
Another key issue that the government has agreed to is to enable a legislation to ensure safety of doctors at the work place and protect them from public attacks at work places. Dr Acharya said the draft of the Bill was already in place and the same would be tabled before the legislature at the next session.
On the demand for a 134 percent salary hike sought by the doctors to end discrimination in salaries vis-a-vis those teaching in medical colleges, the government has promised to look into their demand on compassionate grounds by setting up a committee headed by an officer of the rank of additional chief secretary.
The panel would look into providing better emoluments to doctors working in rural areas and those government doctors studying post graduation courses, Dr Acharya said.