ANIIMS doctors demand vacation or earned leaves amid decline in COVID cases

Speaking on the issue, Dr Manish Jangra Founding Chairman, FAIMA told Medical Dialogues, " Despite no COVID case being recorded in Andaman & Nicobar within the last four days, why are the authorities not allowing leaves? The medical college is run by the government. The institution is run by a society of higher officials since 2015. There is a vacation provision in central governments' leave policy. So that, people who serve in remote places like Andaman & Nicobar Islands also get the chance to meet their family during the vacation."

"However, since the last year, the director has not approved any of the vacations. Neither are they allowing us leaves nor are they converting it into Earned Leaves (EL). It has already been 7 months since winter vacation and there is still no order regarding converting the leaves into ELs," added the doctor.

He further informed, " FAIMA and the faculty members have tried to talk to the Director, Dr. AK Mandal regarding the issue but he has not paid much attention to the problem. Authorities are calling doctors promising them good accommodation, salary, incentives, and leaves and when they serve, they take them for granted. Previously Britishers used to banish people in these islands, I am getting the feeling that now the faculty members are stuck there with no leaves."