Memorandum Submitted Seeking Fixed Duty Rosters, Essential Medical Equipment and ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’ for Specialists at GMSH-16

Memorandum Submitted Seeking Fixed Duty Rosters, Essential Medical Equipment and ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’ for Specialists at GMSH-16

Chandigarh 28 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Seeking improvements in the working arrangements of specialist doctors deployed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM/NHM) at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, Chandigarh, and various Civil Dispensaries, along with the availability of essential medical equipment and removal of pay disparities, Vikram Singh, Founder of Voice for Fundamental Rights, has submitted a detailed representation to the Hon’ble Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and the Hon’ble Administrator, Chandigarh Administration.

Through the representation, Vikram Singh has sought immediate intervention and necessary directions in the larger interest of patients as well as specialist doctors working under the scheme.

Key Points Raised in the Representation

1. Patients Facing Difficulties Due to 1–2 Hour Rotational Duties: Specialist doctors are reportedly being deputed to different dispensaries for very short periods of only one to two hours. As a result, patients travelling from distant areas may have to return without proper consultation or may receive incomplete treatment when the specialist has to leave for another location.

2. Lack of Essential Diagnostic Equipment: Specialists in Ophthalmology, ENT and other departments are reportedly not being provided with even basic diagnostic and testing equipment required for proper patient examination. In the absence of essential equipment, doctors face difficulties in conducting accurate examinations and providing appropriate treatment, raising serious concerns regarding the quality of healthcare available to patients.

3. Demand for Equal Pay for Equal Work: Specialist doctors engaged under the scheme are performing healthcare duties comparable to those performed by regular doctors. Citing the principles laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in State of Karnataka vs. Uma Devi, the representation seeks appropriate consideration of the principle of “Equal Pay for Equal Work” for doctors engaged on contractual or scheme-based appointments, subject to applicable rules and legal provisions.

4. Mental and Logistical Pressure on Doctors: Frequent movement between multiple dispensaries during the same working day creates logistical difficulties for specialist doctors and may contribute to excessive work-related stress and burnout. A more stable and systematic duty arrangement has therefore been sought.

Major Demands Before the Union Health Ministry and Chandigarh Administration

1. Fixed and Dedicated Duty Locations: The existing system of 1–2 hour rotational shifts should be reviewed, and specialist doctors should preferably be assigned full-day dedicated duties at major hospitals and larger dispensaries to ensure continuity of patient care.

2. Immediate Provision of Diagnostic Equipment: Essential testing and diagnostic equipment required by Ophthalmology, ENT and other specialist departments should be provided at the concerned dispensaries to ensure quality examination and timely treatment of patients.

3. Financial Equality: Appropriate orders should be considered for ensuring fair and equitable remuneration for specialist doctors working under PM-ABHIM/NHM, in accordance with applicable government policies, rules and judicial directions, including the principle of Equal Pay for Equal Work wherever legally applicable.

Vikram Singh, Founder of Voice for Fundamental Rights, expressed hope that the Hon’ble Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Chandigarh Administration would take the matter seriously and initiate appropriate action at the earliest, keeping in view the interests of patients and the legitimate concerns of specialist doctors.