Bangalore: A total of 911 doctors working in government hospitals across Karnataka submitted their resignation to the Department of Health and Family Welfare here on Monday, hours after staging a protest against their “unhappy” work conditions.
There was, however, confusion as doctors sought to submit resignations. Department officials refused to accept group resignations and said that each resignation form should bear the signature of the respective doctor.
They also insisted that the resignation form must clearly state that the doctors are “resigning out of our own will” and not “because we are dissatisfied with the job.”
Healthcare services across the State were affected as hundreds of doctors converged at the Freedom Park here to protest for a pay rise, regular supply of medicines, filling of vacancies and proper work hours.
On Sunday, the Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) had said its members would stage a protest in front of the Department of Health and Family Welfare office at Anand Rao Circle.
But with the police imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC within a one-km radius of the area, the protest took place at the Freedom Park. Over 100 police personnel, led by two DCPs, were deployed to ensure no untoward incident occurred. The protest went off peacefully.
During the protest, the KGMOA’s general body gave a call to doctors to resign en masse. Doctors were asked to personally visit the department’s office and submit their resignation area-wise under Mysore, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural sections.
Addressing the protesters, Dr H N Raveendra, president, KGMOA, said, “If the government takes an extreme step and accepts our resignations, we will set up co-operative hospitals in the respective taluks and serve there. We do not intend to inconvenience the patients.”
Minister for Health and Family Welfare, U T Khader, told a press conference in the evening that the resignations had neither been accepted nor rejected.
“They (doctors) would be served notice if they do not return to duty tomorrow,” he added. Khader said the protesters had requested him that they wanted to meet the chief minister. “This is most likely to happen tomorrow,” he added.
The minister was, however, sceptical if all the resignations were self-motivated. “Many doctors have called me and said they were forced to resign. We will look into all these aspects and then take a call,” he said and added that the government would try to meet most of the 12 demands put forth by the KGMOA.
