Tamil Nadu Govt Doctors urge State to give salary hike before February 7

Chennai: Pointing out that the Government has not fulfilled its promise regarding salary hike, the Legal Coordination Committee (LCC) for government doctors has appealed to the Chief Minister M.K Stalin for fulfilling their demands before February 7.

Issuing a statement in this regard, the LCC has pointed out that around 19,000 government doctors are upset because the State has not fulfilled their demand for a salary hike, even though they had to pay "such a huge price".

The committee has termed the struggle for salaries as “people’s struggle to save the health sector”.

During the previous government's regime, the Health Minister had given a written assurance to the doctors and promised to fulfill their demands within six weeks. However, since the promise was not fulfilled, back in 2019 that around 17,000 government doctors under the aegis of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, had initiated an indefinite strike demanding time-bound promotion for government doctors and teaching faculty in the state.

Medical Dialogues had reported that the doctors were demanding proper implementation of the DACP scheme with pay band-4 at the end of 13 years of service, maintenance of doctors' posts in accordance with the number of patients, 50% service quota in PG medical admissions and counselling for PG postings.

Finally the doctors had withdrawn their strike after the then Chief Minister's request.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu Govt Doctors go on indefinite strike demanding salary hike, promotion

As per the latest media report by The Hindu, since the Government has not kept its promise, the LCC President S Perumal Pillai has issued a statement and urged the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to fulfil their demands before February 7.

Apart from this, the LCC has also urged the Government for revoking the transfer order of 118 doctors who had been transferred to places around 500 kms away from their homes. These doctors had also been charged for violation of work rules.

The Committee claimed that the distress of the 40 women doctors who had been punished, had upset Lakshmi Narasimhan, a government doctor who supported his colleagues. Unfortunately, the concerned doctors died of a heart attack on February 7, 2020.

Recalling that the present CM M.L Stalin had condoled his death and blamed the AIADMK Government for the death, LCC further mentioned, “The one who condemned the government of that day has not resolved the agony of the doctors.”

Also Read: Maternity Leave Benefits, salary Denied to Tamil Nadu Government Doctors