Chandigarh:
The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMS), a body representing a large number of government doctors in the state, has decided to proceed on a two-day strike from Monday to protest the recent transfers of doctors.
The decision is likely to hit health services, mainly at primary health centres and civil hospitals, which are run by the health department.
The PCMS is protesting the recent decision of the Punjab Government to transfer 523 specialist doctors across the state on Tuesday to facilitate upgrade of 100 hospitals.
According to the association's patron Dr R S Buttar and president Hardeep Singh, the doctors would not provide outdoor patient care services or conduct any postmortem examination.
However, the doctors would provide emergency services and delivery services to pregnant women.
Meanwhile, Ashok Nayyar, Punjab Health Services Director, on Sunday made an appeal to the doctors that instead of going on strike, they must come forward and bring to the notice of the health minister, principal secretary or the director of health any genuine case where they feel the transfers have been unjustified.
The sole reason for these transfers is to strengthen the health services in selected 100 health institutions in the state, and provide adequate specialists services, he added.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa has condemned the mass transfers and sought immediate solution to the grievances of health staff, including paramedical staff working in rural hospitals.