Demand for Dynamic Assured Career Progression: Tamil Nadu Govt Doctors threaten indefinite strike

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This July, government doctors in Tamil Nadu protested against the state government, demanding the implementation of DACP.

Read Also: Tamil Nadu: Government doctors go on hunger strike over poor pay; to boycott OPD services on July 18

Pointing out their dilemma, the association had described that the salary for doctors in the state and central services is the same when they join duty, but doctors in central government services receive promotions in four, nine, 13 and 20 years, compared to eight, 15, 17 and 20 years in the state government.

Doctors in government service also get a salary that is lower than lecturers or professors at arts/science colleges, although government doctors work for at least 50 hours a week compared to 32 hours of the teaching faculty.

Earlier this month, in a letter to the Health Secretary, the association noted that the government had agreed to "favourably solve" the demands in six weeks, reports The Hindu.

"It was disappointing to note that even after the end of six weeks on October 8, the issues were neither solved, nor was there reasonable progression," it said.

With the issue not being resolved by the government, the doctors recently once again resorted to strike. With the protests already on, the doctors have threatened of indefinite strike from October 25.

The recent protest held at Government Rajaji Hospital saw doctors raise slogans such as "higher achievements but lesser pay" and "reduce unfair discrepancies in pay".

TNGDA state president Dr K Senthil told

TOI that they were forced to stage the protest since the state government had not responded to their long-pending demands to reduce the number of years for time-bound promotions. "We have decided that from October 24, we will focus only on patient care and not take any classes. On October 29, we will be going for double duty so that we can have a full-fledged protest on October 30 and 31," he said. He added that the strike will not affect critical patients as emergency care teams will be formed to take care of critical cases in the government hospitals, PHCs and taluk hospitals.