Morung Express news
Kohima | April 19
The Angami Students' Union (ASU) on Tuesday said the delay in meeting the demands made by the Nagaland In-service Doctors Association (NIDA) would invite ‘severe retaliation’ as the ASU was prepared with ‘various intensified action plans.’
Reaffirming its non-cooperation with the incumbent NSF for maintaining status quo on the issue of increasing the superannuation age of Nagaland government doctors, the ASU convened a press conference at its office on Tuesday.
The ASU said that during the 2nd day of the NIDA’s ongoing agitation, it has been vigilant over the situation by sending volunteers to monitor the District hospitals, Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres and Sub Centres under its jurisdiction.
Over the last two days, the stand-off between the government and in-service doctors has deprived hundreds of patients of medical attention in Angami jurisdiction and added a psychological fear among general public, it observed.
The ASU expressed total dissatisfaction on how the state government has handled the issue so far.
It viewed that the government should have taken a bold and timely decision when the issue was first raised by the NIDA or within the one-year deadline that it sought to resolve the issue. Instead, the state government has deployed police personnel, set up various control rooms to monitor the mass casual leave and ‘threatened’ the NIDA not to go on mass casual leave with various impositions, it maintained.
Stating that the government is provoking the issue, the ASU maintained: “If this leads to untoward situation while failing to be attended with medical attention, we are sorry to say but the state government and those parties hijacking the genuine doctors’ demand will be liable for any casualty.”
Reiterating its non-cooperation with the Naga Students’ Federation, it stated that the NSF had not made ‘extensive consultation’ with its higher decision making body prior to adopting a resolution to maintain status quo over the issue.
“After ascertaining the facts and figures relating to the issue, we have appealed to the NSF through its highest decision making body, i.e., the NSF Federal Assembly held on April 12 to discuss the issue, but the matter was referred to the NSF Executive council for wider consultation.”
“As far as we are informed, no extensive consultation was done and the NSF went on to take a resolution opposing the medical age superannuation,” the ASU maintained. It further questioned the NSF for maintaining that the issue was ‘subject to review of the existing superannuation policy of the state,’ while adding that the claim was misleading and provoking.
Meanwhile, citing reports from NIDA, the ASU stated that Nagaland was short of medical doctors by a ratio of 1 doctor per 4000 population while adding that the provision to improve the state’s medical environment should be readily availed and the commencement of the medical colleges was also crucial.
NIDA meets with Chief Secretary
Cabinet decision in the offing
The Nagaland In-Service Doctors' Association (NIDA) on Tuesday met with the Chief Secretary of Nagaland with regard to its demand for an increase in retirement age for medical doctors of both administrative and clinical positions. A cabinet meeting has been scheduled for Thursday to deliberate on the issue.
Speaking to The Morung Express, NIDA President Dr Phyantsuthung Patton said the ‘mass casual leave’ will continue on Wednesday as part of the first phase of agitation. While the cabinet decision is being awaited, NIDA is also in discussion with its district unit representatives for the next course of action.
An official from the Department also informed that the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare remained closed, and will continue tomorrow. A general body meeting of the Nagaland In-Service Doctors' Association with all the district representatives is also expected to take place on Thursday to chalk out the next phase of action. A lot will depend on the cabinet decision, it was informed.
