Haryana Govt Doctors Call Off Strike After Key Demands Addressed

The Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) has called off its strike after the state government agreed to meet three critical demands. The strike, which had severely impacted health services in state-run hospitals, ended after the government assured that these demands would be implemented by August 15. The key demands addressed include: Grade Pay Anomalies: The government has agreed to rectify grade pay discrepancies. Specialist Cadre: The government will notify the establishment of a specialist cadre at the earliest. This move aims to address the career progression concerns of doctors. Emergency Visit Allowance: Doctors will receive an allowance for visits to hospitals during odd or off-duty hours to handle emergencies. This allowance, up to ₹7,200 per month, is designed to compensate doctors for additional responsibilities and is modeled after central government provisions. Top government officials, including Haryana Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sudhir Rajpal, and Additional Principal Secretary Amit Kumar Agarwal, held extensive discussions with HCMSA representatives to resolve the deadlock. These talks spanned over two days and concluded successfully early Saturday morning. The HCMSA had also demanded the reduction of bond amounts for postgraduate courses, stopping direct recruitment of senior medical officers, and aligning allowances with those of central government doctors. The government had already issued a notification to reduce the bond amount for postgraduate courses, addressing another significant concern. With the specialist cadre soon to be notified, most career progression issues for doctors will be resolved. This development marks a significant step towards improving the working conditions and morale of doctors in Haryana’s government hospitals.