Date:02/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/02/stories/2008090258390100.htm

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Doctors in State call off strike

— PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

STRIKE SUCCESSFUL: Doctors participating in a protest at Indira Park in Hyderabad on Monday.

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors Association (APGDA) has called off its State-wide strike on Monday following an assurance from the government to hike their pay scales on a par with that of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) scales within a week.

APGDA office-bearers held talks with Minister for Health and Family Welfare Sambhani Chandrasekhar on Monday afternoon in the backdrop of the mass casual leave applied by doctors in various government hospitals in the State.

However, the Association said their decision to call off the strike was conditional. “They have promised to issue a government order within a week and we have decided to wait till then. If they fail to fulfil the promise, we will organise a total medical bandh in the State from September 8,” said APGDA secretary-general Dr. M. Neelkanteswara Rao.

The APGDA leaders said the government had also assured implementation of all the recommendations of the high power committee, which was set up to look into the CGHS pay scales issue on April, 2008.

It also offered to hold talks with the Association on the issue of according semi-autonomous status to teaching hospitals in due course of time.

Out-patient facilities

Meanwhile, the mass casual leave by government doctors paralysed healthcare in all the teaching hospitals. In the twin cities, out-patient facilities were affected badly as patients were asked to come on Tuesday, when normalcy will be restored.

“We have asked all our members to report to duty from Tuesday onwards,” Dr. Rao assured.