Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) doctors, who had stopped OPD services since September 9, announced on Saturday that they will resume work on Monday. This decision came after a meeting with Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh, who assured them that their demands would be addressed on time.
The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) announced that 2,500 doctors will make up for the inconvenience caused by the five-day OPD suspension by working two extra hours on Monday and Tuesday. Normally, OPD timings at health centers in Punjab are from 8 am to 2 pm.
PCMSA president Dr. Akhil Sarin said the government has promised to meet all the doctors' demands within a set timeframe.
The doctors' demands include the reinstatement of the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme, which provides financial benefits and higher pay, better security for healthcare workers, timely recruitment of medical officers, and the release of pending Central Pay Commission (CPC) arrears.
The president of the PCMSA stated that the government would implement concrete measures to enhance security at all health facilities.
“Around Rs 12 crore for installation of CCTVs has already been issued to the health department. Next week, the Department will come up with the framework to improve security measures, including fixing the number of security guards based on the number of hospital beds,” Dr Sarin said.
When asked about hiring more doctors to address the staff shortage, he said, "The government is in the process of recruiting 400 medical officers, and more doctors will be hired by the end of the year."
“The health minister has assured that ACP, which had been discontinued, will be restored in the coming weeks,” he added.