Meet of health officials nixed as docs threaten to lay siege
Govt Set Aside ₹40L For Event 3 Days Before Boycott Call
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.09.2018
The state health department was forced to cancel a business-cum-pleasure conference it had planned for its senior administrative staff, after the striking government doctors threatened to lay siege to the beachside luxury resort on ECR where the three-day event was to be held.
The department had set aside ₹40 lakh for the programme, which had been scheduled a day ahead of the striking doctors’ plan to boycott all hospital work, barring emergencies.
While the joint action committee of the government doctors’ association said they would boycott work on September 21 demanding pay revision, the government planned the conference for nearly 400 state and district level health administrators from September 18. After at least three associations told TOI that they would hold protests at the conference venue, the government went on the back foot.
“We will cancel the programme. A letter will be sent out soon,” said a senior official.
According to the official communications accessed by TOI, the cost of the conference, to be organised by the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, was to be shared by four different wings of the department. The health systems project, including chief minister’s and health minister’s scheme and 108-Tamil Nadu Urban Health Care project, would together pay ₹10 lakh, while the remaining ₹30 lakh would be equally shared by Tamil Nadu State Health Society-National Health Mission, TN Aids Control Society, and TN Medical Services Corporation Limited. The list of invitees included senior government doctors, including joint directors, deputy directors and deans of all government medical colleges and hospitals.
“They were planning an expensive bonding trip when the entire workforce is disgruntled. Why couldn’t they have held the conference in a government hospital or a TTDC resort,” said JAC-GDA chairman Dr K Senthil. Another doctor added, “They cancelled it now because they did not have a reply. We gave them notice in November and eight weeks ago, we once again reminded them about a day-long strike,” said Dr Senthil.
“We got information about this a day after they gave us a letter threatening us with action,” he said.
On Friday, a two-page reply by health secretary J Radhakrishnan said it would be illegal on the part of government doctors to hold a strike as per the Tamil Nadu Government Servants Conduct Rules 1973, and violation would invoke disciplinary action.
“Apart from disciplinary action, an event leading to death of a patient or worsened morbidity is also liable for criminal prosecution,” the letter said, quoting Madras high court orders.
The letter also said complaints would be filed with the state medical council and the Medical Council of India. Incidentally, Dr Senthil is also the president of the state medical council.
Govt Set Aside ₹40L For Event 3 Days Before Boycott Call
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.09.2018
The state health department was forced to cancel a business-cum-pleasure conference it had planned for its senior administrative staff, after the striking government doctors threatened to lay siege to the beachside luxury resort on ECR where the three-day event was to be held.
The department had set aside ₹40 lakh for the programme, which had been scheduled a day ahead of the striking doctors’ plan to boycott all hospital work, barring emergencies.
While the joint action committee of the government doctors’ association said they would boycott work on September 21 demanding pay revision, the government planned the conference for nearly 400 state and district level health administrators from September 18. After at least three associations told TOI that they would hold protests at the conference venue, the government went on the back foot.
“We will cancel the programme. A letter will be sent out soon,” said a senior official.
According to the official communications accessed by TOI, the cost of the conference, to be organised by the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, was to be shared by four different wings of the department. The health systems project, including chief minister’s and health minister’s scheme and 108-Tamil Nadu Urban Health Care project, would together pay ₹10 lakh, while the remaining ₹30 lakh would be equally shared by Tamil Nadu State Health Society-National Health Mission, TN Aids Control Society, and TN Medical Services Corporation Limited. The list of invitees included senior government doctors, including joint directors, deputy directors and deans of all government medical colleges and hospitals.
“They were planning an expensive bonding trip when the entire workforce is disgruntled. Why couldn’t they have held the conference in a government hospital or a TTDC resort,” said JAC-GDA chairman Dr K Senthil. Another doctor added, “They cancelled it now because they did not have a reply. We gave them notice in November and eight weeks ago, we once again reminded them about a day-long strike,” said Dr Senthil.
“We got information about this a day after they gave us a letter threatening us with action,” he said.
On Friday, a two-page reply by health secretary J Radhakrishnan said it would be illegal on the part of government doctors to hold a strike as per the Tamil Nadu Government Servants Conduct Rules 1973, and violation would invoke disciplinary action.
“Apart from disciplinary action, an event leading to death of a patient or worsened morbidity is also liable for criminal prosecution,” the letter said, quoting Madras high court orders.
The letter also said complaints would be filed with the state medical council and the Medical Council of India. Incidentally, Dr Senthil is also the president of the state medical council.
The joint action committee of the government doctors’ association said they would boycott work on September 21, demanding pay revision. They will keep away from all hospital work, barring emergencies
No comments:
Post a Comment