Tirupati: Junior Doctors seek insurance cover, quality PPE kits

Tirupati: The junior doctors working in government medical colleges have been boycotting duties since Monday, August 10, in protest against the attitude of the government in resolving their demands.

The AP Junior Doctors Association (AP JUDA) had given a boycott call to keep pressure on the government to consider their demands. Initially, they were not attending duties in general OPDs and wards. Though they have been discharging Covid duties and emergencies by wearing black badges, the situation may go out of gear if they decide to boycott them too.

Among other things, the JUDA has been seeking health insurance for its members as they are the only people at high exposure to Covid patients. They were demanding Rs 1 crore insurance coverage to healthcare workers and immediate release of insurance amount for those deceased till now. They also seek incentives for their untiring work which was being implemented by some state governments like Odisha and Maharasthra.

President of AP JUDA SV Medical College unit Dr D Sai Teja told The Hans India that the quality of N95 masks and PPE kits being provided at the hospitals was poor which was the main reason for the exponential increase in Covid cases among doctors.

Also, due to the huge shortage of manpower in the Covid hospitals, the available staff were getting exhausted which is resulting in their work efficiency. This problem has to be addressed forthwith. The JUDA has also sought more protection for doctors while discharging duties in the wake of various incidents in which patient attendants have attacked doctors.

They have been demanding hike in their stipend which was due since January 2020. Dr Sai Teja said that so far, they have given time to the government in view of the Covid crisis though their families are dependent on them and suffering financially during the post lockdown period. There is also a need to provide exclusive wards for government general hospital doctors who get infected at every teaching hospital.

The APJUDA has submitted a letter to the Director of Medical Education with their demands and have been instilling confidence in the government that it will consider it positively without further delay.