Mass resignation: Medical teachers resign from PG guideship demanding regularization, 7th pay commission

Nagpur: The resident doctors all across the state resigned from the Post Graduate (PG) guideship demanding regularization and allowances in line with the 7th pay commission. The doctors began boycotting medical teaching at their respective medical colleges from the 5th of January.

Informing Medical Dialogues about the decision, the Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) has stated that doctors from most of the medical colleges including GMC Nagpur and Dhule have resigned. One of the doctors of Nagpur Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) said that almost 160 medical teachers of the institute have resigned from PG guideship.

The protesting medical teachers pointed out that the government previously stated that contractual medical teachers serving COVID duties should be regularized after two years of work but they have not been regularized yet. Moreover, they are also not receiving allowances and GR according to the 7th pay commission. The contractual teachers also stated that they are not receiving regular salaries as well.

In a letter given to Amit Deshmukh, State Medical Education Minister, the Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) stated, "All the medical teachers worked hard during the two waves of COVID-19 without thinking about their own health and their family's. We consulted you and the concerned secretary regarding the allowances and some other demands. You responded positively and constituted a committee."

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However, despite the submission of the report by the committee in August 2021, no concrete step was taken. As a result, there is a lot of unrest among all medical teachers. Finally, it was unanimously decided to resign from the post of Post Graduate guideship. The MSMTA has warned the government that no teacher would do Post Graduate teaching and would not sign the thesis until they get their allowances within a month.

Dr Samir Golawar, President of MSMTA told Medical Dialogues that there are around 400 teachers who got selected through Divisional Selection Board (DSB) are working on a contract basis and several such teachers despite the assurance given by the minister, have not been regularised. The MSMTA has attracted the attention of the authorities towards the issue and on Wednesday submitted a memorandum of demands to Acting Dean Dr Raj Gajbhiye.

Dr Golawar further added, "The doctors of most of the medical colleges including GMC Nagpur, Thule have already resigned from PG guideship. Despite clear instruction of the Apex court that COVID warriors should be respected and should get salaries on regular basis, many of us are still not getting a regular salary. Moreover, the government previously assured us that contractual medical teachers should be regularized after two years of teaching but no steps have been taken yet to do so. We have wholeheartedly dedicated ourselves to serve the state during COVID but why are our rights ignored?"

"We worked during both COVID waves. In Jan 2016 7th pay commission was implemented. However, for the last 5 years, we are getting as per 6th pay commission. We are not getting allowances or GR as per 7th pay. We repeated interactions with the Medical Education Ministry, but in vain. We have handed over our resignation as PG guides en masse. The ministry will now instruct the Deans of the colleges and I hope they will take some steps to fulfill our demands", added the doctor. 

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