The State Action Committee of the Haryana Civil Medical Service Association has decided to proceed with its planned mass casual leave on December 8 and 9. This decision comes after multiple rounds of negotiations with the state government on Friday ended without a positive resolution on the doctors' core demands.
Marathon Meetings Yield No Concrete Results
A series of high-level meetings were held in Chandigarh throughout the day. The discussions commenced with Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi around 2 pm. This was followed by a dialogue with Rajesh Khullar, the Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. Subsequently, the association held two to three additional rounds of talks with the Additional Chief Secretary for Health. The final meeting of the day began as late as 8:30 pm, indicating the intensity of the deliberations.
Government's Stance on Key Demands
During the discussions, the Additional Chief Secretary conveyed the government's firm position on two major issues. Firstly, the state administration stated that since most Indian states do not practice direct recruitment for Senior Medical Officers, Haryana would also discontinue this practice. The government informed the doctors' body that amendments to the service rules would be initiated soon to formalize this change.
Secondly, the authorities clearly communicated that they were not agreeable to the demand for a modified Assured Career Progression structure. Dr. Anil Yadav, General Secretary of the HCMS Association, shared these details, highlighting the deadlock.
Association's Decision and Future Steps
After internal deliberation, the State Action Committee concluded that despite perceived political willingness, bureaucratic hurdles blocked the resolution of the ACP issue. Dr. Rajesh Khyalia, President of the HCMS Association, stated that in the absence of any constructive response from the government, the association has no choice but to proceed with the mass casual leave protest.
However, the doctors' body has kept the door open for further negotiations. They remain willing to discuss if the government comes forward with a satisfactory proposal to address their long-pending demands related to career progression and recruitment policies.
The impending strike is expected to significantly impact outpatient and elective services across government healthcare facilities in Haryana for two days, as a large section of the state's civil medical officers are likely to participate.
