Government doctors in Haryana commenced an indefinite strike on Thursday, significantly disrupting health services across state-run hospitals. The Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) initiated the strike to press for their demands, including establishing a specialist cadre and a career progression scheme aligned with their central government counterparts.
In response, the state government, represented by Health Minister Dr. Kamal Gupta, urged the doctors to consider the strike’s impact on patients. While Dr. Gupta assured the medical professionals that their concerns were being addressed, Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar engaged in discussions with the doctors to resolve their issues. Dr. Gupta emphasized that the government is taking these concerns seriously.
Dr. Rajesh Khyalia, association president, and three other doctors began an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday in front of the Health Services Director General’s office in Panchkula. Dr. Khyalia stated that the strike would persist if no resolution emerged from the talks.
Among the doctors’ additional demands are the cessation of direct recruitment for senior medical officers and a reduction in the bond amount for postgraduate courses. The strike has led to long queues in outpatient departments (OPDs) in district hospitals across cities like Panchkula, Karnal, Gurugram, and Panipat, with patients reporting that doctors were unavailable. In some cases, patients were attended to by postgraduate trainees, interns, and retired doctors.
According to Karnal Civil Surgeon Dr. Krishan Kumar, consultants, community health officers, and other health staff have been mobilized to handle emergency and child services in response to the strike.
Dr. Khyalia noted that despite repeated assurances from the government over several months, the demands still need to be fulfilled. He highlighted that a total shutdown of health services, including OPD, emergency, and post-mortem services, would continue until the demands are met. He cited a specific assurance from the additional chief secretary of health regarding career progression and bond issues, which had yet to be fulfilled by the promised date of July 24.
Association state treasurer Dr. Deepak Goyal reiterated that the issues persist and are unresolved despite numerous meetings. In a letter to the association on Wednesday, Dr. Gupta expressed understanding of the doctors’ demands and assured that the government is actively seeking a satisfactory resolution. However, he also emphasized the critical responsibility to maintain uninterrupted healthcare services for the public, especially those reliant on state-run facilities in times of need.
On July 15, government doctors observed a two-hour strike to advocate for their demands, which affected OPD services statewide.
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