Telangana junior medicos oppose increase in retirement age for teaching docs

Doctors took part in a one-day hunger strike on Friday to protest the state government’s decision to increase the retirement age for teaching faculty from 58 to 65 years.
 Telangana junior medicos oppose increase in retirement age for teaching docs
Telangana junior medicos oppose increase in retirement age for teaching docs

Several doctors from the Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association (TJUDA) took part in a one-day hunger strike on Friday to oppose the state government’s decision to increase the retirement age from 58 to 65 years for teaching doctors in government medical colleges.

“We the members of TJUDA would like to bring to your kind notice that the Government of Telangana took unilateral and hasty decision for increasing hike for teaching faculty in government teaching hospitals from 58 to 65 years and preparing for issuance of ordinance, though no pressing issues or issues that require immediate consideration are there and without consensus among all doctors associations (sic),” the association wrote to the state Governor ESL Narasimhan.

The decision was approved by the state cabinet in May 2018. However, it was not implemented due to protests from associate professors.

TJUDA’s says that several eligible candidates will lose out on opportunities as a result of the government’s decision. If the government does proceed with its decision to increase the age for retirement of teaching faculty in government medical colleges, this would in turn result in less newer recruits being taken in, who would then be left without work.

“Those who will be most affected by this are the younger lot of doctors who are waiting for such positions to open up,” stated one TJUDA member.

The association has been protesting since last week, with several hospitals closing down non-critical services as doctors took to boycotting elective services and outpatient clinics. This came at a time when tensions were already high amongst the medical community as a result of the nationwide protests against attacks on doctors.

“TJUDA members will continue to boycott elective services, in addition to participating in the hunger strike. There aren’t enough doctors coming forward to fix the deficit in health care as it is. Not allowing young doctors to join the field will only worsen the deficit even more, said one member of TJUDA.

Protests have been taking place throughout the country within the medical community ever since a young doctor from Kolkata was attacked by the relatives of a patient.

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