KCR Urges Junior Doctors To Call Off Strike

The Chief Minister of the state K Chandrashekar Rao today asked the junior doctors to call off their strike keeping in view the overall public health situation due to the pandemic in the state, and join duties immediately.

The CM said that the government had never discriminated against the junior doctors, and that their problems had all been solved in the past. He added that the state government was ready to solve their just demands now as well.

The CM was speaking at a review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan in the city with medical and health officials on the coronavirus situation, the vaccination program and other issues. He enquired about the demands made by the junior doctors, and instructed that they be addressed.

The officials brought to the notice of the CM that the junior doctors of Telangana were getting higher stipends than those in other states. The CM then said, "If the junior doctors' demands are justified, the government will have no objection to meeting them. They can bring those demands to the government and get them addressed. But it is not proper to abstain from duties every now and then under the pretext of strikes without even understanding the situation, and causing inconvenience to people time and again. Moreover, no one will appreciate their going on strike in the present emergency situation caused by the coronavirus."

The CM nevertheless decided to increase the honorarium paid to the senior residents by 15%. He also extended the senior residents' honorarium to the medical students engaged in Covid duties after three years of medical studies.

The CM instructed the officials concerned to take measures so that the ex-gratia amounts being extended as per the guidelines were handed over immediately as per the junior doctors' demand.

He also ordered that better medical facilities be provided to the junior doctors and their family members at the NIMS.

The meeting had the Chief Secretary of the state Somesh Kumar, CMO Special Officer (Covid) Rajasekhar Reddy, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) S A M Rizvi, DME Ramesh Reddy, Director of Health Srinivasa Rao, CM's OSD Gangadhar and others in attendance.