Government doctors in Punjab on Monday suspended out-patient department (OPD) services for three hours across the state to pressurise the government over their various demands, including promotions and adequate safety measures for healthcare workers.The protesting doctors said the protest, organised under the banner of Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association, will continue till September 11 at district and sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres.
Many patients visiting these government hospitals faced inconvenience as OPD services were suspended from 8 am to 11 am. However, emergency services continued. PCMS Association (Patiala unit) president Dr Sumit Singh said restoration of Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme was one of the main demands of the protesting doctors.
Singh said that unlike other departments, doctors do not have multiple avenues of promotion during their career, which is compensated through the annual career progression plan but was stopped in 2021.
The ACP scheme provides financial benefits and higher salaries to government employees. The association is also demanding adequate safety measures for health care professionals in hospitals and recruitment of more medical officers.
The doctors’ association referred to an incident on Sunday night in which two unidentified men manhandled an eight-month pregnant doctor at a community health centre in Mohali and fled with injections.
Police have registered a case in this regard. Meanwhile, patients who came for checkup at Mata Kaushalya Hospital in Patiala had to face inconvenience as OPD services remained suspended. A meeting is scheduled between representatives of the PCMS Association and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday. The association has warned that if the meeting does not yield any significant result and the promotion notification is not issued, all services will be completely stopped from Thursday.
