Reinstate or give jobs demands Doon Medical College contractual staff

When the pandemic hit the state in March 2020, almost 600 health professionals were engaged for a six-month trial period. Later, their contracts were renewed. However, following the pandemic period, the state government cancelled the contracts on March 31. Initially, these employees went on strike and staged an agitation.

One of the nursing staff told Times of India, " They let us go when they didn't need us. Cases may soon increase and then they might require our services again. The government is acting very selfishly. We haven't even received our salaries for the last month." Employees have pleaded with the government to reinstate them. On Thursday, such contractual employees of other districts will also be joining the protesting staff of Government Doon Medical College and Hospital.

"We are 600 for now but we will be 2200 from Thursday. We have been treated unfairly and we will continue to protest till the situation is resolved. We were told that the matter would be tabled in the cabinet meeting but that didn't happen," said an agitating employee. Meanwhile, the reduction in the number of manpower has impacted operations at Doon Hospital, with patients forced to wait for an extended period of time. Problems like delays in patient admission, medication delivery, and even surgical procedures have become a common phenomenon.

While reports of a crunch in manpower are making way, a few days ago, the Principal of Government Doon Medical College and Hospital (GDMCH), Dr. Ashutosh Sayana had issued notice to the Head of the Five Departments of the Hospital observing that the doctors are absent from their duties during Out Patient Department hours (between 8 am to 2 pm). While seeking an explanation from the doctors, the Hospital chief had further mentioned in the notice appropriate action would be taken against them after investigating the reasons for the absence of the doctors.