Medical teachers' mass leave from today

Super speciality services will be unavailable at SMS Hospital on Friday as Rajasthan Medical College Teachers Association (RMCTA) of medical teachers has declared one-day mass leave. However, emergency services will not be affected. As attempts to console the agitated medical teachers continued till late night, the hospital administration has assured that the routine services will not be affected.






"The resident doctors and medical officers will provide services in the medical outdoor and other wards. The heads of departments have been instructed to ensure proper arrangements in their respective wards," said Dr L C Sharma, superintendent, SMS Hospital.

The patients scheduled for an operation at the hospital might have to reconfirm their appointment as more than 250 medical teachers are expected to boycott services. Only the emergency operations are expected to be held during the day.

The SMS Hospital is the largest super speciality hospital in the state and provides services to nearly 3,000 patients each day. The medical teachers supervise the treatment services at SMS Hospital and provide essential services to the various diagnostic and testing facilities. These services are also expected to be affected.

The medical teachers have decided to abstain from work nearly after a decade gap, RMCTA blamed the government of being inconsiderate.

"The demands of medical teachers are pending for a long time. The state government has given us a patient hearing at several levels but have not given a definite answer on any of the demands. In first phase of protest we will be on a mass leave and hold rally from the hospital to Statue Circle," said Dr R C Yadav, secretary, RMCTA.

Absence of promotion avenues has been a major discontent among the medical teachers as many of them are denied even two promotions during their entire service. The difference in pay scale between the central medical colleges and state medical colleges has been another major reason for protest and if it continues services at the remaining medical colleges will also be impaired.

"Not all doctors have private practice, many of the doctors are confined to academic and research activities in such conditions a better non practising allowance must be provided. Due to lower pay scale nearly 30% of the posts in medical college are vacant.

RMCTA representatives have met the health minister and even presented their demands to the chief minister. However, the government has yet not announced its decision.