Doctors across Kashmir will observe token strikes from 22 May in response to a protest calendar issued today by Doctor’s Association Kashmir (DAK) against state government’s apathy towards fulfilling their demands.
A press handout issued by DAK has called for Kashmir wide protest by doctors, as per a calendar by the association. According to the protest schedule, doctors will start on 22 May with display of black bands . Afterwards, on 30 May, doctors will observe a pen down strike from 10 am to 12 pm. On 20 June, the association has called for a full day strike by doctors across Kashmir.
The strike will be repeated and continued indefinitely from 25 June if the demands of the doctors are no fulfilled by authorities till that day, the press statement said.
The DAK president Dr Suhail Naik has castigated government’s “apathy” towards health sector. “We have time and again raised our genuine demands with the government but the step motherly treatment being meted out to us is tantamount to nonchalant approach towards our issues,” he said.
The demands set forth by DAK include caderisation of consultants/medical officers/dental surgeons, removal of pay anomaly, two and half day salary, risk and rural allowance, doctors welfare fund and ordinance for violence against doctors.