Haryana: Government health services partially hit as doctors go on strike

Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini says ministers and senior officials are having a dialogue with the protesters and their concerns will be heard; the protesters have been opposing direct hiring of SMOs

The health services were partially affected on the first day of government doctors’ two-day strike across the state on Monday. The strike has begun on the call of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) that has been demanding a halt in the direct recruitment of senior medical officers (SMOs) besides implementing the modified assured career progression scheme.

Patients waiting for doctors outside the OPD at the civil hospital in Gurugram on Monday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

In Jhajjar, 130 doctors out of the 201 remained absent, an official, wishing not to be named, said. In Jhajjar’s Bahadurgarh, 10 eye operations, two general surgeries and as many as orthopedic procedures were not conducted due to strike, according to the official.

In Karnal civil hospital, several patients, unaware of the strike, turned up as usual but most of them had to return. Some of them sought treatment from Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College and Hospital (KCGMCH). The district administration said it had deployed doctors from KCGMCH, retired specialists, Ayush practitioners and MBBS final year students among others.

Karnal district magistrate Uttam Singh invoked Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023, prohibiting any form of protest or obstruction of access to healthcare facilities within a 200-metre radius of government health institutions in the district.

No major impact was witnessed in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Ambala and other parts of the state as health authorities had deployed doctors from the National Health Mission (NHM) and medical colleges. Rohtak civil surgeon Dr Ramesh Chandra said 39 doctors were present so the daily routine was not affected.

“Regular check-ups, tests and medicines were given to the patients. Operations were continued across hospitals, primary health centres and community health centres,” he added.

In Hisar and Fatehabad, doctors from Maharaja Agrasen Medical College were deployed. Ambala civil surgeon Rakesh Sehal said there was no impact of the strike in the district.

A few patients complained that they were inconvenienced due to the strike. At the Bahadurgarh civil hospital, Santra Devi, a resident of Tikri, said she experienced shortness of breath but doctors were not available.

Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president of the HCMSA, said the demands are not new. “There had been a consensus reached with the state government on these issues last year, with assurances given by the chief minister. Despite a year passing and our demands remaining unaddressed, we were forced to take this step,” he said while warning that they would resort to an indefinite strike if their demands were not fulfilled.

Dr Anil Yadav, general secretary of the HCMSA that has 3,000 members, said, “Doctors want the government to stop the direct recruitment of senior medical officers. They want the modified assured career progression structure, which has been approved by the CM but pending with the finance department for the past one year.”

“The then health minister, Anil Vij, had directed to stop the direct recruitment of SMOs but the process has been initiated again. There is no direct recruitment of SMOs across the country, except Haryana,” Yadav added.

HCMSA state treasurer Dr Deepak Goyal said the “bureaucratic hurdle” forced them to resort to protest.

Meanwhile, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, while addressing mediapersons, said the government has fulfilled several demands of the doctors in the past. “Ministers and senior officials are having a dialogue with them. All of their concerns will be heard,” he added. (With PTI inputs)