Bangalore, Oct 30: Agitating doctors called off their stir unconditionally on Wednesday following talks with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to reporters after a two-hour-long talk with representatives of the State Government Doctors' Association, Siddaramaiah announced that the doctors had agreed to end their stir and resume work. Those doctors who had resigned in the past two days will return to duty, he said.
Stating that the state government had gone through all the demands, he said that most of them, including filling up of vacant posts, releasing salaries within the first week of every month and creating district surgeon posts in all teaching hospitals, had been accepted.
“Of the 14 demands, we have rejected the plea to count the service of doctors on contract for fixation of pay upon their regular appointment with the department,” Siddaramaiah said.
About bringing parity of pay between doctors working in teaching hospitals and the Department of Health Services, he said it was agreed to follow the pattern being adopted in the neighbouring states. Rejecting the doctors' plea for a merger of teaching hospitals with the department, he said it could not be done now as it involved both technical and legal issues and needed to be discussed.
On the demand for creating the posts of chief medical officers in each taluk and district hospital, he said the issue needed to be discussed further.
The other demands that the government accepted include putting in place a medical manual, continuing the programme implementation posts and supplying medicines to PHCs (primary health centres) on a requirement basis.
The CM said the association members had agreed not to resort to suspension of services in the future, and resolve all the issues through negotiations.
Expressing regret for causing inconvenience, if any, to the public due to the doctors' agitation, Siddaramaiah appealed to the state's doctors not to go into agitation mode in the future as it would affect poor patients.
Happy With Talks'
Doctors Association secretary Dr Srinivas on Wednesday expressed satisfaction over the talks with the state government and announced that all the doctors who had submitted their resignations would withdraw them immediately.
He also apologised to the people for causing them inconvenience due to the agitation.
Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader, Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, Public Works Department Minister H C Mahadevappa, Principal Secretary (Health) Sivasailam and Commissioner, Health, P S Vastrad were present at the press conference.
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