Bihar docs to do a Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Bihar government doctors are all set to do a Munna Bhai a la Lage Raho...! They will offer roses to Health Minister Chandra Mohan Rai on June 25 and Deputy Chief Sushil Kumar Modi on July 7 to press their 18-point charter of demands.

This is part of the over two-month agitation programme charted out by the doctors, failing which they will submit mass VRS applications.

About 3,000-odd government doctors, right from those posted in primary health centres to the director-in-chief, Health Services, are on a warpath, protesting against the government’s inaction in giving them salary as per the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission, as also guaranteeing assured career progression (ACP).

At an emergency meeting, held under the banner of the Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA) at the IMA Hall here on Sunday, the BSHSA (the bigger faction, comprising doctors of PHCs, district hospitals, Civil Surgeons and director-in-chief, Health Services, excluding those of the six medical colleges) decided not to tolerate what it called ‘unnecessary meddling’ by the State Health Society Bihar (SHSB).

While training its gun at the SHSB, the BSHSA decided not to follow any of its order directly, unless routed through proper channel, as also follow the ‘lawful’ orders of Civil Surgeon. The doctors also decided to resort to a 'work to rule' from May 16 to June 15, during which they would work only for 42 hours in a week and undertake no specialised work.

The BSHSA agitation would commence on Labour Day when doctors would wear black badges and then hold district-level dharna between May 2 and 8. The following week, they would hold meetings with public representatives, Health Secretary, Health Minister, Deputy CM and Chief Minister. If the government still did not budge, the doctors would submit mass VRS applications on June 25.

Prominent among those who spoke were BSHSA patron Dr Chandeshwar Prasad Singh, president Dr N N Sharma, secretary Dr Dineshwar Singh, vice-presidents Dr Ram Nagina Singh, Dr Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Dr P N Pandit, Dr Prakiriti Gupta, Dr S N Jha, Dr H P Srivastava and convenor of struggle committee Dr Ajay Kumar.

The meeting got a major boost when senior doctors Dr S N Arya, Dr D K Choudhury, Dr Gopal Prasad Sinha, Dr Rajeshwar Thakur and director-in-chief Dr Manoranjan Chaturvedi also came to address the mammoth gathering.