By IANS,
Ranchi : Hundreds of contractual doctors in Jharkhand, who were sacked for striking work since May 26 to urge the government to change their contracts to regular job appointments, were reinstated and resumed duties Tuesday.
“We have called off our strike and are joining from Tuesday,” said Vimlesh Kumar, president of the Jharkhand Contractual Doctors Association (JCDA).
Apart from regularisation of their services, the striking doctors also wanted exemption from the written examination for recruitment to regular jobs.
According to the government, 684 doctors were working on a contract basis. As many as 446 doctors were sacked June 5 after they failed to resume duty on June 4 – the deadline set by the government.
The decision to reinstate the striking doctors was taken at a meeting between Jharkhand Health Minister Bhanu Pratap Sahi, Indian Medical Association (IMA) representatives and JCDA members Monday evening.
“The sacked doctors will be reinstated. We have taken a written oath from the doctors that they would not go on strike in future on the same issue,” Sahi told reporters.
The state government has agreed to five demands of the doctors including providing provident fund (PF) and granting maternity leave. Also, the contractual doctors would be exempted from the exam for regular job appointments when it is held in future.
The strike by doctors and their subsequent dismissal had badly affected health services in rural areas.