Government doctors to intensify protests

Intensifying their protests, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) has decided to boycott all classes for medical college students from November 30, while all non-emergency surgeries will be stopped on December 3 alone. They will not register their attendance on the biometric and Face Recognition Attendance System from November 30.

The association, in its emergency executive committee meeting, resolved to intensify the ongoing protests to put forward several of their demands and urged the Chief Minister and Health Minister to intervene and arrive at a solution. Among the various decisions taken to intensify the protests, the association members would hold press meets in all districts on December 2 on doctors/staff vacancies, drug availability and budget and other issues.

TNGDA has demanded that only experts should conduct maternal death audits and new regulations should be immediately drafted. No non-medical person should be involved in the audits. “The World Health Organisation recommends ‘No Name, No Blame and No Shame’ approach for maternal audits. This should be followed in Tamil Nadu. Only experts in obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and anaesthesia should be involved,” K. Senthil, president of TNGDA, said.

Noting that there was an acute shortage of obstetricians and gynaecologists, the association said that the concept of mentoring, which is of no use to reduce maternal deaths, should be dropped. All vacant posts of doctors in the Health department should be filled immediately, and additional posts of doctors should be created immediately as per patient load.

TNGDA went on to demand the grant of a voluntary retirement scheme for doctors who wish to take voluntary retirement. Project directors, Collectors and higher officials should avoid conduct of direct review meetings of doctors, and instead, it was adequate to hold review meetings by involving deans, joint directors and deputy directors, and district level officers.

No targets should be fixed for performing surgeries and deliveries. The ranking system should also be dropped. It was improper to rank hospitals based on certain parameters as each facility could have various facilities, number of doctors, nurses and workers. The association also demanded that no targets should be fixed for the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.

If the government does not arrive at a solution after these protests, the association would decide on the further course of action after a meeting on December 4. TNGDA also rejected the records of discussions issued after a meeting with the Health Secretary on November 25.

Published - November 28, 2024 11:31 pm IST