DIMAPUR, APRIL 16 (MExN): The Nagaland Government today issued instructions for management of situation in face of the mass casual leave agitation by the Nagaland Inservice Doctors Association (NIDA) beginning April 18.
The NIDA is demanding for increase of the superannuation age of medical doctors in Nagaland from 60 to 62 years.
The State Government has already directed the Principal Director, Health, Chief Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents in the State not to sanction any leave to any Government Medical Officer or health care professionals.
Further, on April 14, the government had directed that no government medical doctors shall communicate with members of press in matters not connected with discharge of official duty. It had cautioned that failure to comply with the instructions make the officers liable to disciplinary action in addition to deduction of pay for the unauthorized absence on the principle of 'no work no pay'.
An office memo issued by the Chief Secretary informed that a state level control room with dedicated helpline would be set up for coordination and real time monitoring of the situation in the state. The control room shall be overseen by Principal Director, DHFW, who may draw officers from the Directorate to assist him.
At the district level too, a District Level Control Room under the chairmanship of an officer not below the level of ADC/SDO (Civil) and consisting of officers from Medical and other departments are to bet set up for coordination and real time monitoring of the situation. The government further instructed setting up a district level helpline.
Attendance is to be monitored closely by the CMO and DC and daily reports furnished through the Principal Director and Commissioner, Nagaland respectively. Meanwhile, the CMO in consultation with the DC has been asked to redeploy all available contractual/temporary medical and Ayush doctors or any other healthcare professional in various facilities in the district to fill the gap due to anticipated unauthorized absences.
Any officer who has been granted leave or is out of station is to be recalled. Further, it informed that a list of contractual doctors appointed by the government is attached for reference, and would also be available with the CMOs and MSs.
The Deputy Commissioners have been directed to hold a meeting with the available private hospitals/health care providers to work out the modalities for management of OPD and referral cases from government facilities as and when required. In case of Dimapur, OPD and other referrals may be redirected preferably to CIHSR, the government said. In districts with limited availability of private sector health facilities/clinics, arrangements are to be made with nearest such facility available in other districts by the concerned Deputy Commissioners.
The CMOs/MSs have also been directed to establish facilitation centers at each health facility till the PHC level for the aid of the patients and management of cases requiring urgent attention like referral transport etc. For the Centers, available nurses and paramedical staff, in addition to the contractual doctors and administrative officers may be used, it added.
The government also ordered that ambulances should be readily available and deployed in an efficient manner across the district.
The DCs have been asked to review the supplies of medical consumable, drugs etc at each of the government facilities and communicate any exigencies to the state control room. The CMOs/MSs are to ensure that all the health care professionals including Doctors, Ayush Doctors, CHOs, ANM/GNMs, ASHAs are in their respective station.
The DCs have also been directed to review the implementation of public health programmes with the CMO and District Programme Managers. Further, the DCs are to be overall in-charge of ensuring implementation of the instructions at the district level.
The Principal Director, Health and Family Welfare (H&FW)is to be the overall in-charge for ensuring that the proposed call by the NIDA has minimum impact on provision of health services to public, including enforcement of the various instructions issued by the government.
