Haryana Govt Doctors Announce Pen-Down Strike Over Unresolved Demands

The Haryana Civil Medical Service (HCMS) Association has declared a two-hour pen-down strike in government hospitals and medical centers on July 15. The strike results from mounting frustration over the government's continued neglect of long-standing demands related to promotions and career progressions.

The Haryana Civil Medical Service (HCMS) Association announced on Sunday that doctors in all government hospitals and medical centers of Haryana would go on a two-hour pen-down strike on Monday. The strike is scheduled from 9 AM to 11 AM on July 15.

During the pen-down strike, all Outpatient Department (OPD) services will be disrupted, affecting operations at various government hospitals and medical centers. The association cited the government's insensitive and callous attitude towards their long-pending demands as the primary reason for the strike.

The announcement followed a meeting of the state core committee of HCMS, which was held on July 2, 2024. The doctors' demands focus on promotions and career progressions, which have seen little progress despite previous promises from the government.

According to the official statement, “A meeting of the state core committee of the HCMS association was held on 02/07/24 to update about the status of demands. There is a strong resentment among the members due to the insensitive and callous attitude of the government towards the long-pending genuine demands of the HCMS association. Despite a mutual agreement six months ago, none of the issues have been resolved. Members see this as a breach of trust.”

Specific issues include the slow movement of proposals for a specialist cadre and PG course bond reduction, as well as a lack of progress on amendments to service rules and allowances. Additionally, numerous posts remain vacant, causing significant staffing shortages.

The statement also highlighted that if there is no positive development by July 15, the doctors might escalate their protest to an indefinite strike, including postmortem and emergency services, from July 25 onwards.