Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 17
Heath services in Nagaland is most likely to be affected from April 18 as the Nagaland In-service Doctors Association (NIDA) stated that it would go ahead with its mass casual leave protest from April 18 to 20, even as Nagaland State Government cautioned against such move.
Almost all members have submitted casual leave, Dr E Phyantsuthung told The Morung Express on Sunday, on the eve of the three-day protest.
He informed that the Association has over 500 plus members, including those under the National Health Mission (NHM).
Asked whether health deliveries would be affected due to the proposed casual leave, he stated that those in the emergency services would continue their works and remain functional during the 3 days mass casual leave.
Only Outpatient Department (OPD) and routine services will be affected, he added, further informing that vaccination services will also continue as they are usually undertaken by other health workers.
The NIDA president, however, cautioned that if there is not positive response from the government side, the association might be compelled to take other course of action.
This include total indefinite cease of work including emergency services, he elaborated.
The NIDA’s mass casual leave has been called as protest against the State Government’s failure to address the demand for increasing the superannuation age of doctors from 60 to 62 years.
Despite the NIDA’s earlier announcement regarding the casual leave, the State Government, instead took a tougher stand, cautioning the doctors that they would be liable to disciplinary action as well as salary deduction if they go ahead with the protest, clearly drawing battle lines over the issue.
On April 14, an order from the Nagaland Chief Secretary drew attention to Rule 25 of the Nagaland Government Servants Conduct Rules 1968 that prohibits government servants from participating in any form of strike, including mass casual leave or in any way abet any form of strike.
It further pointed to the fact that maintenance of public health and sanitation including hospitals and dispensaries are essential services and asserted that the proposed mass casual leave “is likely to cause severe disruption in medical care/ public health services and is, therefore, liable to endanger the lives, health and security of the people of the State.”
Accordingly, the Nagaland Government has decided that no one shall be granted casual leave for the aforementioned period—April 18 to 20 and directed Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare not to approve casual leave of any officers or recall/revoke those already granted.
The NIDA said that in going ahead with the mass casual leave and in case of any untoward eventualities, the government will have to bear the responsibility or can shift the blame to those it claims to be opposing NIDA's demands.
The association has consistently maintaining that its demand is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement was specific for medical doctors and for a specific reason to address the acute shortage of doctors and to retain the services of experienced doctors for a longer period. Modi reportedly made the announcement at Saharanpur (UP) on May 2016.
“Taking a cue from the Prime Minister’s announcement almost all the states in the country including our neighbouring North Eastern states with similar financial constraints have implemented an increase in the superannuation age of medical doctors,” the NIDA had stated in an earlier statement on April 12.
