News Karnataka
Friday, March 29 2024
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Bengaluru

K’taka doctors call off strike after state govt agrees to their demands

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Bengaluru: The government doctors on Friday, called off their strike over salary hikes after the government conceded to their demand. The announcement was made by state Health Minister B Sriramulu.

Earlier in the day, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar urged them to call off their strike and report for duty while also assuring them that their demand for a wage revision would be considered.

“Going on strike at a time when the state government and other stakeholders were fighting the pandemic, does not behold the doctors as their absence is affecting healthcare, especially Covid-19 patients,” Sudhakar told reporters at an event.

Though the Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association agreed to withdraw the strike at a meeting with the state health department recently, many of its 5,000 members have not been reporting for duty since September 15, demanding salary revision, among other things.

Asserting that the state government was committed to address the concerns of the doctors, the minister said it was inhuman for anyone to use the Covid-19 situation for one’s gain.

Tweeting about the resolution of the matter, Minister Sriramulu wrote, “The meeting with the protesting doctors was fruitful.Approval has been given to meet their demand.”

Praising Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for his initiative to break the logjam, Sriramulu said, “Congratulations to the doctors on behalf of the government for calling off their strike.” The doctors under the aegis of KGMOA, went on strike from September 15 demanding a salary hike on par with the teaching faculties at the government medical colleges and hospitals. “We have called off the strike as the government has agreed to all our demands. They said they will earmark Rs 125 crore for this,” the KGMOA president Dr G Srinivas told PTI.

“The salaries of doctors under the state health department will be based on 6-year, 13-year and 20-year promotion,” said Sudhakar.

The doctors also sought pay parity with their counterparts in the state medical education department or as per the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).

“As we are conducting about 75,000 tests per day, we are recording more positive cases and the pandemic is under control in the state compared to other southern states,” asserted Sudhakar.

The state government is also increasing beds in the intensive care units (ICU) of the state-run hospitals, especially in Bengaluru where more patients are being admitted.

“We are increasing ICU beds and ventilators due to rise in severe cases, while beds in general wards are adequate for new cases,” Sudhakar added.

With inputs from IANS, PTI

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