Health Professionals Threaten to Boycott Emergency Duties in AP

Amaravati: More than 8,500 health professionals consisting of Junior Doctors, PGs and interns have been protesting in the State against the government demanding quality N95 masks, PPE kits, health insurance coverage, ex-gratia to the already deceased doctors due to COVID19, dedicated isolation centres for virus-infected doctors and hike in their stipend. They also demand recruitment of the additional doctors and other health care professionals to provide better services to the increasing number of patients and reduce burden on existing staff.

The AP Junior Doctors' Association (APJDA) threatened the Government that they would boycott even emergency services, demanding to address their grievances. They gave a specific deadline to the government to address all their problems.

Junior doctors informed that they requested the state government to provide separate isolation centres like that of the revenue officials. They said that the government allocated separate blocks for the revenue department officials for COVID treatment. Doctors also urged the government to provide security at the hospitals, where some patients' family members have been aggressively arguing with the doctors when their relatives could not get the beds.

The Association President Dr Deepchand AMC stated they intimated with the government that they have decided to extend the boycott of elective duties and emergencies by the Junior Doctors. The junior doctors have been carrying out their duties round the clock while wearing the black ribbons as an assignment of protest for 7 days. But, to their gross disappointment, they have received only a little response from the State government by providing a stipend hike of around 23 per cent contrary to their demand of 45 per cent to the interns, PGs, SS and MDS which is not satisfactory.

He informed them that they have already boycotted General OPDs and Wards from August 10 to August 13 and continue to do the same till August 16. Failure in resolving any of the issues which they have raised will force them to boycott emergency services such as casualty, labour room, ICUs from August 17 to 20.

Dr Bhanumurthy Koushik, General Secretary of the Association explained that they have been demanding for the quality N95 Masks and Personal Protection Kits, special COVID19 insurance coverage and dedicated health care space for the doctors, apart from the hike in their stipend.

When this correspondent tried to contact KS Jawahar Reddy, Special Chief Secretary, Health and Medical department to know the initiatives taken by the government to address these problems, he did not attend the phone call and did not respond to WhatsApp messages.