Junior doctors across Telangana protested on Tuesday against the government’s promise to provide Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) and PMPs (Private Medical Practitioners), who have undergone training, with government certificates. Dr Nidaullah, Joint Secretary of Telangana Junior Doctors Association, told TNM that the government is planning to register people who are not qualified.
He said, “There are no criteria for being RMPs and PMPs and usually just pass class 10 and 12. And, the government wants to register them. How can they do that? Our healthcare system is already deteriorating.”
Earlier this month, incumbent IT Minister and Sircilla MLA K T Rama Rao said that around 45,000 RMPs and PMPs had applied for training, and 20,000 had completed it. He reportedly said that there are qualified doctors who are confined to urban areas, but the government had not been able to set up Primary Health Centres in all villages.
Responding to this, Nidaullah said, “The government is claiming that this is due to lack of doctors. When 2,000 government jobs were available, 20,000 doctors applied. They are ready to go to tribal areas; they are ready to work for the betterment of Telangana, for the betterment of people, but the government, for the sake of a vote bank, wants to register these RMPs and PMPs.”
Protests were held in Osmania Medical College, Gandhi Medical College, NIMS Medical College, Hyderabad Medical College, Nizamabad Medical College, Niloufer Hospital Medical College and Government ENT Hospital, among others.
The doctors did not obstruct the emergency and casualty but opted out of elective services. They were also not part of outpatient services and elective operations.
When asked about the way forward, Nidaullah said that the protest was being held to bring the matter to the notice of the Telangana government. The decision on what to do going forward, he said, will only be taken after 10 days.