Government doctors here today said they have decided to postpone their strike, that was to begin from tomorrow, after the state health minister assured them of looking into their various complaints which include poor infrastructure and heavy work load.
The doctors have been protesting under the banner of Punjab Civil Medical Services Specialist Doctors' Association (PCMS).
"On the assurance given by Health Minister Punjab Surjeet Kumar Jayani, the government doctors have decided in public interest to defer strike, which was to start from November 28," an official release here stated.
PCMS state president Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal and Ludhiana district president Dr Avinash Jindal said that they have apprised the health minister that doctors in civil hospitals are overburdened and there is a shortage of para-medical staff to assist them. Also, the infrastructure in government hospitals cannot be compared with big private hospitals.
"The work load is remarkably high. Not only this, we are dealing with the poorest section of society and very sick patients, those who cannot avail any health facility outside. The minister has assured us that there will be full justice. So, we have deferred the strike," Jindal said.
The doctors said the minister will hold a meeting with them at Chandigarh to solve their other long-pending demands.
"So we have also decided to postpone the pen down strike of all PCMS Punjab doctors which was fixed for November 29," said Dr Davinder Kumar, General Secretary, PCMS, Ludhiana.
Government doctors had decided to observe indefinite strike in protest against "poor" infrastructure at government- run hospitals.
