Nagpur: The National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) has come out in support of agitating Ayurved resident doctors who are on strike since the pasty one week for their various demands. NIMA has called for a state-wide strike if justice is not served to striking Ayurved resident doctors.
In a press statement, NIMA said that with the pressing demands of junior resident doctors of Government Ayurved Colleges in Nagpur, Osmanabad & Nanded for hike in stipend, the PG Associations have been on strike since many days but the government’s stand on this matter is still not known. Anguished by the no action by the government, NIMA is going to call a state-wide agitation if justice is not served quickly. The Maharashtra Government agreed upon increasing the stipend of the resident doctors by 10,000 but this hike was only levied on MBBS & BDS resident doctors, thus directly neglecting the Ayurved resident doctors who have ‘parity’ status to their counterpart medical and dental residents.
NIMA further said, “The Ayurved resident doctors have risen to the occasion in this pandemic and have catered to dedicated covid needs of the state right from April. The Ayurved residents were posted in dedicated covid hospitals, swab collection & covid care centres. The residents of medical and dental are given rest or quarantine period after COVID duty and they are given non COVID duty after quarantine period. But such is not the case with Ayurved residents who are directly denied any rest or quarantine period in between COVID duty. The Ayurved residents too need their fair share of leave and rest like the medical college residents. The state government and the local administration are unfair with Ayurved residents.
According to the GR dated May 26, 1981 the state government stated that Ayurved physicians & students share parity status with their counterparts of MBBS physicians & students and entitled for the equal stipend. When the state government itself considers these doctors as same then why is it deliberately sidelined Ayurved residents is the question of the hour? What is the cause making the difference in the amount of stipend amongst MBBS and BAMS residents? “Same work, same pay” is our right then why is the government acting differently?”
Ayurved residents as well as Ayurved Interns are working in the frontline right from April. More than 100+ residents and interns of Ayurveda have contracted COVID 19 since the pandemic has started. Under such circumstances the government and local authority should encourage the doctors instead of discouraging them. As per the state govt. Doctors posted in COVID duties are entitled to COVID incentives but forget incentives there is sheer irregularities in the payment of pending stipends both of Ayurved residents and Ayurved interns right from the start of the pandemic. Why is the govt.not keen on paying rightful stipends on time? Due to such apathy the nearly 300 Ayurved residents of Government Ayurved College in Nagpur, Nanded, Osmanabad have resorted to strike. As of now the Ayurved residents have been on strike since 7 days, but the government hasn’t taken any solid step regarding this issue.
According to the Director of AYUSH, Maharashtra, the proposal of hike in stipend has been sent to the state govt. on July 7, 2020 that means the proposal of Ayurved was also in consideration. But the hike was announced only for medical and dental residents on August 12, 2020. Why did the government brush aside Ayurved residents? If the said issue is not addressed and justice is not served as soon as possible then NIMA will call a state-wide agitation.
