DIMAPUR, APRIL 14 (MExN): The Angami Students’ Union (ASU) has written to the Nagaland Chief Secretary expressing concern that “owing to partisanship and undue suppressive pressures,” the State Government is apparently “swayed by some vested interest parties” on the issue of medical doctors’ age superannuation.
“While most states in the country have implemented the newly introduced medical doctors’ age superannuation, and some states giving legal validity to medical practitioners, the refractory nature of the Government to implement the same until now has drawn the attention of the Angami Students’ Union with much suspicion and dismay,” the ASU said. It wondered as to why the State Government is hijacking the issue at the “behest of some absurd parties.”
The ASU pointed out that there is acute shortage of medical practitioners in the government sector as per WHO recommendation for requirement of doctors which is 1:1000 to that of 1:4056 for Nagaland. Similarly, the requirement of more doctors is underlying with creation of more district hospitals, up-gradation of healthcare centres, etc and for timely activation of medical colleges in Nagaland, the union noted.
While the ASU does not endorse the extension of other government services, it said that the case of medical doctors is unique and through proper amendment of Fundamental Rules of 1922, Rule 56, clause ‘bb’. It urged the State Government to recruit the subsidiary resultant vacant posts through the NPSC to absorb the educated unemployed medical doctors on exigent requirement and further create requisite post to subdue the shortage of medical doctors in the state.
The ASU cautioned that in the event of the doctors’ mass casual leave or any other agitation leading to an “imbalanced medical situation” and resulting in delay in starting the medical colleges in Nagaland (as announced by the government), the union would initiate its own course of action against the government and responsible parties after the expiry of the government’s commitment.
