Karnataka government has indicated that it will not succumb to the pressure of the government doctors who are threatening to go on strike from February 15.
According to the Karnataka health and family welfare secretary, Ramana Reddy, the government had already met much of demands except the one pertaining to additional pay demand for those serving in the rural areas.
Further, the health secretary stated that the doctors have no reason to go on strike. The government was ready with the plan if the doctors go on with the strike.
In order to encourage doctors to work in the rural area, the government gives Rs 7,000 per month additional pay to doctors who have served for six years in the rural areas and continue to be offering their services from those locations. In the same manner, government provides Rs 5,000 to doctors returning to the urban locations after serving in the rural areas for six years. But in the case of doctors going to keep away from work from February 15 are now demanding additional pay by serving in urban areas alone.
Going by the doctors demand for higher pay, the government had stopped recruiting on contract basis from October 2008. The government on January 29 issued an order regularizing the services of 279 medical doctors and six dentists.