Stressing upon the right of availing of Gazetted holiday today President Doctors Association Kashmir Dr Suhail Naik in a communique said that “Gazetted Holidays is the right of every employee including doctors and it is crystal clear to one and all under which challenging conditions the doctors are working in the valley. There is absolutely no rule mentioning that doctor who is an employee cannot avail Gazetted holiday”.
“If extra duties are to be extracted from doctors they need to be paid for that like other essential service employees are paid. Doctors are also governed by same Civil Service Rules(CSR) and human rights too. There is immense dearth of doctors across state and the Govt. has already stretched our duties to the brim without resolving our grave issues”Dr Naik further said. “The doctor fraternity is the most neglected sector in terms of pay commission and other service benefits as the doctors are always busy in treating patients and not following their genuine demands in the administrative corridors moreover doctors have been working day in and day out and particularly during turmoil, disaster like situations but unfortunately the callous attitude of Govt. has now forced us to lodge a protest against this insensitiveness” Dr Naik added.
“The Govt. rather to give false assurances should come clear on this issue. AK has been appealing the Govt. since long to resolve the genuine demands including availing gazetted holidays or come up with an order of “two & half day” salary as being implemented in the department for paramedic & other allied staff. Moreover DAK reiterates that there is gross pay anomaly and un satisfactory pay commission implementation even after submitting various representations earlier. It is quite deplorable that there is no substantive risk allowance being given to the doctors who are always at risk while treating patients”Dr Naik further added.
DAK had been peacefully appealing the authorities to resolve our genuine demands since years but the Govt. has been turning a deaf ear always and in that context DAK has decided that all doctors barring emergencies and casualty sections across valley shall avail gazetted holidays from 30th April and are requested to assemble at Directorate office at 1 pm. on 30th th April positively to lodge a strong protest.