Punjab Doctors Withdraw the Strike After Assurance from Health Minister

Doctors of the Civil Medical Services in Punjab Doctors Withdraw the Strike have put up their week-long struggle on July 2nd when the assurance provided by the health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu was in favor of them. Balbir Singh Sidhu has agreed to take forward their demand with his Cabinet members.

Dr. Gagandeep Singh, the president of PCMSA reported to the media that they met the health minister who assured that their demand would be discussed soon in the cabinet Sub Committee meeting that is scheduled on Tuesday. He was assured that the order regarding the NPA would be put away. As a result of which they have postponed the struggle until Tuesday.

Punjab Doctors Withdraw the Strike

He further added that all the doctors in Punjab will perform their regular duty by wearing black badges. He also informed that if the demands of doctors are not considered, the protest will only grow intense.

The protest was due to the recommendation of Punjab’s sixth pay commission. It includes the reduction of the non-practicing allowance of the doctors from about 25% to 20% and also delinking it from the basic pay.

The Joint Punjab Government Doctors Coordination Committee called for a strike. It consists of members from the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association. This committee is also reinforced by the Punjab State Veterinary Officers Association, Punjab Dental Medical Officers Association, Rural Medical Officers Association, and Punjab Ayurveda Officers Association.

The government of Punjab had declared to start implementing various recommendations of the sixth pay commission that came into existence from 1st January 2016. The sixth pay commission was considered a great initiative that would benefit more than five lakhs of doctors on duty and the employees who are retired from the state government jobs.

This led to chaos among several associations and objections of the government employees regarding the formula that was opted for the calculation of a pay increase. The government of Punjab has now set up a ministers’ committee to solve the commotion among the employees.  

The doctors’ strike is now at a halt until the next decision of the committee is released.