Health services cripple in Bihar as Junior doctors continue stir, CM Nitish Kumar asked to intervene

Written by Sanchari Chattopadhyay Published On 2020-12-30T16:15:02+05:30 | Updated On 30 Dec 2020 4:15 PM IST

Health services cripple in Bihar as Junior doctors continue stir, CM Nitish Kumar asked to intervene

Bihar: Taking cognizance of the plight of patients in Bihar, the Congress party along with other influential personalities have requested the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, to take necessary action in order to end the ongoing strike by the junior doctors.

The strike has already entered its 7th day on Tuesday and the health care services provided by nine medical colleges and hospitals across the state have been adversely affected due to the strike. The junior doctors are observing strike demanding an increase in stipend as their stipend has not been revised from 2017.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that 1000 junior doctors of the government medical colleges and hospitals in Bihar had called for an infinite strike seeking a hike in the stipend amount. The protesting doctors of a total of nine medical colleges and hospitals including Patna Medical College and Hospital have been boycotting work that resultantly hit the healthcare services.

According to the Junior Doctors Association Bihar, the pay structure of junior doctors in Bihar has not been revised since 2017. At present, the junior doctors have been getting rupees 50,000, Rs 55,000, and Rs 60,000 respectively, but doctors are demanding a raise in monthly stipend for PG courses to Rs 80,000, Rs 85,000, and Rs 90,000 in the first, second and third year respectively. Junior Doctors Association has warned that it will not end the strike till their demands are fulfilled by the government.

Also Read: Junior doctors go on indefinite strike demanding stipend hike, healthcare services hit in Bihar

As per a recent media report by the Hindustan Times, at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) many of the patients have vacated most of the wards while many were forced to wait outside the hospital buildings due to financial problems. The patients complained that the state government's assurance that senior doctors will take charge and provide necessary assistance seems to be false.

While agreeing with the demands of the protesting doctors, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) Chief, Madan Mohan Jha told Hindustan Times that authorities must take note of the exuberant rate of inflation, so the doctors' demand was not illogical seeing the rising expenses. Manjhi on Monday had appealed to the chief minister and health minister Mangal Pandey to intervene and end the strike of junior doctors for the interest of the patient who had to face problems due to the ongoing strike.

"Nitish Kumar should get a study conducted of the stipend paid to junior doctors in neighboring states and pay them accordingly. The state government should take urgent steps to end the strike, because of which thousands of people have been suffering," Jha told HT.

The former chief minister and president of the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) Jitan Ram Manjhi has also appealed to the CM to take immediate steps and address the issue with due importance to end the strike. Other than the political parties, the Federation of All India Medical Association has also submitted a letter to the health minister stating " We doctors have worked hard for our community during COVID crisis. But in return, we are not getting any increment of a stipend. It was decided by the health ministry that our stipend increment would be in every three years. It had to be in January 2020 but the year has passed and still, we are getting the stipend. Kindly look into the matter on urgent basis."

FAIMA_SJH_UNIT_STAND_WITH_BIHAR_DOCTORS✌@DrAny04683552 @drasmalhi @drkafeelkhan @ravishndtv @BiharHealthDept @BiharCMOffice @mangalpandeybjp @RDA_SJH @JdaBihar @News18Bihar @DrHarjitBhatti @IMA_MSNIndia @IMAIndiaOrg @imajdnnational @DrMCPrabhakar @anandrai177 @TamrajKilvishh pic.twitter.com/KZ9PmLvTBc
— FAIMA (@FAIMA_INDIA_) December 29, 2020

FAIMA_STANdWITH_BIHAR_DOCTORS@JdaBihar @BiharCMOffice @NitishKumar @ravishndtv @imajdnnational @drkafeelkhan @DrHarjitBhatti @BiharHealthDept @ANI @aajtak @ndtvfeed @ranvijaylive @drharshvardhan @biharnewsportal pic.twitter.com/l17OcP5O9l
— FAIMA (@FAIMA_INDIA_) December 28, 2020

Junior doctor association biharjunior doctor strikestipend issueJDAstipend hikeMadan Mohan JhaBihar Pradesh Congress CommitteeBPCCJitan Ram ManjhiHindustani Awam Morcha Secularhealth ministerBihar chief ministerCM NitishFederation of All India Medical Associationmbbs

Source : with inputs

Sanchari Chattopadhyay

Sanchari Chattopadhyay has pursued her M.A in English and Culture Studies from the University of Burdwan, West Bengal. She likes observing cultural specificities and exploring new places.