Tamil Nadu doctors' association threatens hunger strike over long-pending demands

The organisation warned that if the administration does not respond to their demands, they will launch a one-day fast in Chennai. The association demanded that their long-pending demands regarding PHC allowance of Rs. 3,000, reports The Hindu. PHC allowance is a monthly allowance for medical officers working in Primary Health Centres (PHCs), particularly in remote or hilly areas. The allowance can also refer to a monthly payment of Rs 3,000 for female employees with disabilities for child care or for persons with severe disabilities (86-100%).

The association also requested the government to review the Government Order 354 relating to pay and promotions of government doctors. Additionally, it demanded the creation of 1,500 posts that were previously abolished through a restructuring exercise under GO 4D (2).

According to The Daily, during its meeting held on November 16, the association criticised the Health Department’s decision to reassign medical staff. Although TNMOA appreciated the move to introduce additional positions in oncology and neonatology, it stated that cutting sanctioned posts in other wings instead of providing necessary funding and executing the initiative would undermine patient services, postgraduate training, and the overall functioning of departments.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the TNMOA strongly criticised the state government for redeploying 59 sanctioned posts instead of creating new ones. The association has condemned the Health Department’s decision to redeploy Junior Resident (JR) posts across medical colleges in Tamil Nadu. According to the TNMOA, the department had issued a Government Order (GO) announcing the creation of 59 posts in various medical institutions. However, the association clarified that these were not newly sanctioned posts but rather those surrendered from different medical college hospitals under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME).