Doctors hold protest to demand rollback of basic pay policy

Several government doctors from across the state today held a protest here demanding rollback of state policy to give only basic pay to employees for the first two years.
Addressing the gathering, president of the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) association Dr Gagandeep Singh Moga said with this protest they have given an ultimatum to the government to rollback the anti-employee policy.
The basic pay of government doctors in the state is Rs 15,600.
At the protest held in front of directorate of health here, the doctors threatened to take "radical" steps and shut down all medical services on May 26 if their demand was not met within three weeks.

Moga said the association would not hesitate to call for a complete shut down of health services.
Dr Gagandeep Shergill, senior vice president of the association, said it is not a fight for doctors alone but for all employees including teachers, policemen and clerical staff who are being paid little.
He also gave a call to form a united front of different categories of employees on the issue.
Shergill alleged the intention behind the introduction of basic pay clause is to keep the doctors out of government health care system so that it could be destroyed and private health care system could flourish.