Chhattisgarh: Doctors continue strike for sixth day; to meet CM today evening

Chhattisgarh doctors have been staging a strike for the last five days, asking for a hike in their stipends. They have boycotted all routine and emergency services in hospitals across the state and say that the strike will continue until their demands are fulfilled.

Dr Gaurav Singh Parihar, President of Chhattisgarh Junior Doctors' Association (CGJDA), informed that representatives from the CMO (Chief Minister's Office) met the protesting doctors today, January 24, in the afternoon and informed that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will meet them in the evening. "He is on his way to Bhopal and we will meet him after he returns," Dr Parihar said.

He added that the representatives also asked them to call off the strike. "But we have decided not to dismiss the strike until we have met the CM," the President stated. Therefore, the strike continues.

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Junior doctors, interns, bonded doctors, as well as medical students, are participating in the strike. They point out that their stipends are very low as compared to that of other states, while the stipend of interns is the lowest in India. According to data shared by Dr Parihar, Rs 17,000 is paid to interns in Rajasthan, which is the second lowest, whereas in Chattisgarh it is only Rs 12,500.

Yesterday, on January 23, CGJDA organised a Twitter storm, with trending hashtags #jdaonstrike, #jdademandsstipendhike and #chhattisgarhdoctorsstrike. Dr Parihar says, "We have already conveyed our concerns and demands to the government authorities. We are now awaiting a response."

According to a press release by CGJDA, the doctors' stipends have not been increased for the last 4 years. In 2019, "The Director of Medical Education, had applied for an increase in the honorarium of junior doctors from the Government of Chhattisgarh, as illustrated by letter number 1/7020 dated 01.07.2019 and had also suggested a temporary increase in lieu of dearness allowance."

After this, the doctors met the Health Minister and Secretary, Finance Secretary and even CM Baghel, asking for an increase in the stipend. However, nothing was done, and after two years passed, the doctors, having no other alternative, resorted to a strike. In their poster announcing the protest, the medical fraternity has asked the public to forgive them for this step.

Today morning, Dr Parihar informed EdexLive that the protesters were planning to meet the CM. The doctors' strike has received support from other junior doctors' associations from across the country, as well as pan-India doctors' bodies like FAIMA (Federation of India Medical Association) and UDFA (United Doctors Front Association).