CS convenes meeting with NIDA on Apr 19
Correspondent
As a mark of resentment against the lack of response from the state government to their demand for increasing the retirement age from 60 to 62 years, the government doctors under the banner of Nagaland In-Service Doctors Association (NIDA) began the 3-day “mass casual leave” across the state on Monday.
NIDA had decided to launch its phase-II protest in the form of “mass casual leave” after the state government failed to address its demand.
Earlier, in phase-I, NIDA members wore black badges as a form of protest, but called off after state government’s appeal and written assurance on April 17, 2021 seeking one year period to settle the matter.
In view of the absence of striking doctors, services in government hospitals and health centres were affected across the state, but the emergency department and ICUs remained open.
Patients with serious ailments were received at the district hospitals but owing to closure of OPDs, were transferred to private hospitals.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the state chief secretary has reportedly convened a meeting with the NIDA on April 19, 2022. NIDA officials informed that the first day of the protest passed off peacefully in all districts.
They said that OPD remained closed in all the districts, but serious patients were shifted to private hospitals.
Interacting with media persons, NIDA members at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) expressed regret about the outcome despite their reluctance to go to the extent of mass casual leave. They said NIDA had no other option by the government but to resort to such measure. They said the medical department was one of the pillars of the government and such a situation should never have happened had the government fulfilled its “written assurance” given on April 17, 2021.
The NIDA members said their patience had been tested for the last six years. NIDA members however expressed hope that the state government will take the matter seriously and resolve the issue soon.
At NHAK, the first day witnessed 27 patients, who had arrived for emergency check-up, including pregnant women, paediatrics and ENT while serious cases being referred to private hospitals.
Angami Students’ Union (ASU) representatives were also present at NHAK monitoring the situation. Interacting with media persons, ASU core committee co-convener Khrielievi Chüsi said the union has deployed volunteers at all the health centres under Angami jurisdiction to ensure that patients were not deprived of health services.
Chüsi said the issue has flared because of the government’s inability to resolve the issue. He reminded that as it was not a law-and-order issue, deploying police or district administration officials at NHAK was not necessary.
He said that after collecting the data of certain issues, ASU will submit the report of the government to resolve the issue. He said that the government should not take the matter lightly.
PTI adds: NIDA’s demand is under consideration by the state government but no final decision could be arrived at as there are oppositions to it from certain quarters, chief secretary J Alam told PTI.
The chief secretary said that the state government has a sizeable number of contractual doctors and others working in Central Schemes, who would cater to the need of the patients during this period.
Nagaland government has said the PM’s statement was made in a political rally and no directive has been given to states.
The chief secretary said that the state Cabinet will have a meeting soon to deliberate on the NIDA’s demand. Alam said that all the districts have not been affected by the doctors’ agitation.
The government has not sanctioned their application for casual leave, he said.
Corrigendum: Apropos the news item “NIDA’s 3-day mass CL from today; govt renews appeal to refrain from stir”, it is to be clarified that the meeting held on April 17, 2022 was only among NIDA officials, in connection with the three-day mass casual leave, and not with the State government officials as published.