Lucknow: Doctors, who are serving mandatory govt bonds to provide service in govt hospitals, from across Uttar Pradesh staged a protest on Tuesday at GPO in Hazratganj, demanding “equal pay for equal work” and announcing an indefinite boycott until their demands are met.With cloth strips tied across their mouths and placards in hand, the doctors said wide salary disparities persist despite similar qualifications and service obligations. Bond doctors are MBBS graduates required to serve in govt health facilities for a fixed period under a service agreement.The protesters claimed that while bond doctors posted at govt medical colleges receive salaries of around Rs 1 lakh or more a month, those serving at community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) earn between Rs 50,000 and Rs 65,000.Around 200 doctors participated in the demonstration, organisers claimed. The protesters further alleged that police detained several doctors after they gathered near Gandhi statue. “We were holding a peaceful demonstration when police removed us from the site. Some doctors also alleged that their stethoscopes were damaged during the action,” said Dr Simran Veer, one of the protesters.The doctors submitted a memorandum to authorities seeking salary parity. They also claimed that deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak had assured them on Sept 2 that a govt order on the issue would be issued the following day, but no order has been released yet.According to the protesters, repeated representations and assurances from officials have not translated into any concrete decision. They said the agitation would continue until the salary disparity issue is resolved.
