Dimapur, April 19 (MExN): The National People’s Party (NPP), Nagaland State has expressed concern over the superannuation row between the government doctors of Nagaland and the State Government.
In a press release on Tuesday, the NPP Nagaland State pointed out that the Central Government itself had already increased the superannuation age of the Central Doctors to 65 years way back in 2017. “Therefore it is a matter of great worry and shame that the State Government has failed to understand and recognize the legitimate demand of the doctors to increase the superannuation age,” it said.
The Party also underscored that the plight of doctors and the medical fraternity is a matter of concern for all, as they are “the first and only line of defence” against crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic has also taught us a valuable lesson that it is the prerogative of all front-line workers, especially doctors, to be given their due honour and respect as people’s lives are undoubtedly vested on their responsible shoulders,” it added.
Condemning the ‘lackadaisical attitude’ of the State Government on the issue, the Party stated that the government doctors “have been sacrificing the comforts of their homes and families and working extra hours with added risks and threats to their own lives just to ensure that the health and wellness of the people is not compromised.”
To bolster its argument, the Party further quoted former Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare JP Nadda’s view on increasing the superannuation age and said: “Through this forward looking step, the services of experienced doctors shall be available to bring quality health services to the people. It will help in retaining the existing strength of experienced doctors thereby providing better patient care satisfaction.”
“If doctors and medical employees can make such huge sacrifices for humanity, why can’t the government even take this step forward? Why can’t they have the political will to listen to their woes and take up the necessary steps to fulfil this legitimate demand?” it posed, while asserting that the government should take the responsibility of keeping the welfare of the medical fraternity above all partisan politics and ensure that they get the best service standards and facilities as per national norms, without having to demand for it.
The party also pointed out that many other states in India have already taken steps to increase the superannuation age of the government doctors, while citing the example of the Uttar Pradesh Government which reportedly announced in 2021 that it would increase the retirement age of government doctors from 65 to 70.
“All these prove beyond doubt that all the State Governments, irrespective of political affiliation, has the people’s welfare in top priority. This should definitely open the eyes of the State Government to take a positive state for the benefit of not only the medical fraternity but also for the general public as the state has already an acute shortage of capable and experienced doctors,” it asserted.
The increase in superannuation age of government doctors in the state becomes all the more necessary as it would result in retaining the services of qualified and experienced doctors, particularly specialists, so as to benefit the public, especially the poorer sections of the society who are the real benefactors of the government hospitals, the release stated.
Meanwhile, the NPP Nagaland State also questioned the State Government over what it termed as ‘lofty promises’ of setting up two Medical Colleges in the state, while underlining that the Centre has already released Rs 170.10 crore for Naga Hospital Medical College and another Rs 242.50 crore for Mon District Hospital Medical College as per data provided by the MoFHW in the Lok Sabha on December 3, 2021.
“Despite several reminders from the Central Government to expedite the completion of the Medical Colleges in the state, there is still no ray of hope for all the young medical aspirants from Nagaland who are forced to limit their dreams of becoming medical practitioners due to lack of resources or limited seats in Medical Colleges outside the state,” the Party stated, while expressing concern over the ‘brain drain’ that has been taking place due to lack of Technical Institutes in the State.
In this connection, the party called upon all right-thinking citizens of the state to voice out against this “callous attitude of the State Government whereby it is not even able to fulfill even the most basic needs of the people especially in the fields of medical infrastructure and technical education.” It also called upon the State Government to take a matured and positive stand once and for all in the matter of increasing the superannuation age of the doctors and take up the responsibility of completing the Medical Colleges on a war-footing, and “also to give a positive assurance to the public that such medical colleges would be set up in all the districts within a particular time frame.”
