Patna,(BiharTimes): Over 4,000 doctors associated with Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) have threatened to go on a day-long on June 11 if the health department principal secretary Vyasji Mishra is not transferred by then.

According to BHSA secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar he used unparliamentary language against Purnea civil surgeon, Dr R C Mandal, during videoconferencing on May 11 and threatened him with dire consequences. Upon this, the civil surgeon wrote a letter to the chief secretary, complaining against the behaviour of the official.

BHSA executive committee, which met on Sunday, condemned Vyasji, for his misbehaviour.

It was also attended by state IMA secretary Dr Rajiva Ranjan and representatives of the associations of contract doctors, Ayush doctors and dentists.

Dr Ranjit Kumar said use of such language was never expected from Vyasji. He said junior administrative officers, including non-gazetted ones, are defaming the doctors in the name of monitoring. All contractual doctors come under pay band-4, equal to the rank of joint secretary, but junior administrative officers much below the rank monitor their work. This is maligning the reputation of doctors, he added.

BHSA sources said Vyasji, while talking to the Purnea civil surgeon through video-conferencing on May 11, asked him to purchase drugs for district hospitals for the next six months to avoid a drug crisis. But Mandal cited non-availability of funds at which Vyasji directed him to use NRHM funds. When Mandal informed him that using NRHM funds would create problems at the time of audit, Vyasji reportedly got angry and allegedly abused him using unparliamentary language.

BHSA general secretary Dr Ajay Kumar said it is very humiliating for doctors and they can not work in such an atmosphere. Right from the level of district health societies to the health department, bureaucrats get an upper hand. Through the one-day symbolic strike, doctors would demand that the government stop the bureaucratic interference in health services. 

The doctors also said if the agreement reached between the doctors and the state government in January this year was not implemented, they would take out a big rally on July 14, followed by an indefinite strike on August 9. Apart from regularization of contract doctors, including Ayush doctors and dentists, they are demanding pay parity with the doctors of other states.