Beginning on Wednesday, over 15,000 doctors throughout Madhya Pradesh will be on indefinite strike in protest of the DACP (Dynamic Assured Career Progression) programme. The doctors who are demonstrating stated that despite several attempts to provide the state administration with their demands, no action was taken.
The doctors have also stopped emergency health services in the state. The General Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Medical Officer Association, Dr. Ritesh Tawar, said, “We had called off our earlier agitation after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s assurance. After this, a high-level committee was formed through which some points were agreed upon, to which the administrative officers and office bearers of our union agreed. Instead of issuing orders on those points, we are being cheated by making changes to those points. So, we request the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter and issue orders on those agreed points immediately.”
When asked about the government’s claim that 95% of their demands have been fulfilled, Dr. Tawar said, “It is not so. During our earlier conversation, the administrative officials agreed on some points, and we showed our consent on some points. We all agreed on a common agenda. If we talk about DACP (the promotion scheme), then the time interval is not according to the Government of India; it has been increased. It is not acceptable to the medical community.”
Implementation of DACP is the main issue for the strike. The government is talking about not giving the benefit of DACP to those doctors who are posted in the village. They do not have proper facilities; they are staying away from their families and work throughout the month. Even after this, if they are being deprived of a promotion policy, then it is totally wrong, and that is why they are standing here, Dr. Tawar said.
On the other hand, medical education minister Vishwas Sarang said, “We are continuously communicating with the doctors. Earlier, we accepted all their demands. During the previous agitation, we formed a committee, and all their demands have been accepted by the committee. There is no such demand that has not been accepted, and especially the demand related to medical education has been fully accepted.”
“The demand of the Health Department has also been accepted; there is a slight problem with only one demand. In DACP, there is also demand for 4th grade, but with 3rd grade pay, arrangements have been made so that the doctor can get the full benefit of it. There is no problem; I think the government has done everything from its side. We request that the doctor not go on strike. Apart from this, if there is any issue, we are ready to communicate with them,” Sarang added.
Nonetheless, the government has made alternative arrangements to attend to the patients. Collaboration with the private hospital has been done. AYUSH doctors and contractual doctors are giving their services to patients. But he wants the doctor to not strike and get back to work, the minister added.