Doctors, health staff to go on strike starting tomorrow

To press for their long-pending demands, doctors and healthcare staff of the Health and Medical Education Department have decided to go on strike from March 11 to 15 and to launch an indefinite strike on March 16.

President of Dharwad district unit State Health and Medical Education Department Employees Association Devidas Shantikar told presspersons in Dharwad on Monday that in the first phase (March 11 to 15), doctors in the district and taluk hospitals, community and primary health centres will wear black badges and attend only to emergency services.

Out-Patient Department (OPD) services will be suspended during the period. After the first phase, the indefinite strike will be launched on March 16 in the second phase, he said.

Mr. Devidas urged the department to ensure timely supply of medicine to all government hospitals in the State.

Cadre and recruitment rules should be revised once every three years and seniority lists for all cadres in the department should be published periodically, he demanded.

Government Employees Association district president S.F. Siddanagoudar, Parashuram F.K., Chandrika Damballi and others were present.