Nagaland In-Service Doctors’ Association to protest over superannuation age

‘Our demand has been kept in cold storage’

Our Correspondent

Kohima, Jan. 22 (EMN): The Nagaland In-Service Doctors’ Association (NIDA) has decided to wear black armbands from January 25 onwards as a symbolic protest over the failure of the state government to enhance superannuation age of medical doctors in the state despite the announced made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of NIDA executives in Kohima on Friday.

“The agenda for our emergency meeting was on the issue of increasing the superannuation age for medical doctors as announced by our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Dr. E Phyantsuthung, president of NIDA.

He stated that the central government decided to increase the superannuation age of the medical doctors to 65 years on account of acute shortage of medical practitioners and also to retain their medical experience for a longer period.

Phyantsuthung informed that 27 states had implemented the central government policy of enhancing the retirement age; the north-eastern states too have followed suit except in Nagaland and Meghalaya. He however added that ‘Meghalaya is in the process of implementing the policy’.

The doctor stated that enhanced superannuation age varies from state to state -- 62, 65, 68 and 70.

Recalling its memorandum to the state government on the same on August 17, 2016, Phyantsuthung said ‘their demand has been kept in cold storage’ despite their plea beig taken up at the state Cabinet meetings in 2016 before being referred to the Finance and Personnel, and Administrative Reforms departments.

It was informed that their plea went unheard in 2017 “because there was a lot of instability in the state government,” and it was no different in 2018 owing to unavoidable situations in the state and general elections. Then the Covid-19 pandemic put everything on hold in 2020.

Phyantsuthung stated that NIDA resubmitted their memorandum to the state government in October last year after the pandemic was ‘controlled to some extent’, and it was followed by another memorandum on January 7, 2021. Following this, a cabinet sub-committee was formed to discuss the issue but it “did not take any decision” and referred it to a larger cabinet, which is the “latest position”, he added.

Producing different superannuation ages in 26 states across the country, the association sought to know why the government is denying doctors in the state to ‘enjoy’ the provision.

No disruption to healthcare system

The association clarified that the symbolic protest will not disturb the normal healthcare system in the state, especially in view of the Covid-19 vaccination drive. It added that further course of action will depend on the response of the state government.

Meanwhile, Phyantsuthung mentioned that healthcare programmes depend on the doctor-patient ratio as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He informed that the ideal doctor-patient ratio is 1:1000 population it is somewhere around 1:2318 in Nagaland, taking into consideration the 1118 doctors registered under the Nagaland Medical Council as on date.

In this, a deduction of about 20% has been made, presuming that some including retired and lady doctors, who might not be able to contribute following the call of motherhood or parenting, are “inactive”, he added.

With two medical colleges – one in Kohima and the other in Mon – coming up in few years, it is estimated that these institutions will require a minimum of 150 faculty doctors each to begin. If 300 doctors are assigned to these two health facilities, there will be shortage of doctors in the state and this may disrupt healthcare delivery system, it was informed.

Dr. Z Kheshito Zhimo, joint director of Health and Family Welfare, who was also present at the press briefing, informed that out of 1118 doctors in Nagaland, 223 are inactive; and out of the remaining 895 active doctors, 528 are in the government sector and 367 in private sector.

He also expressed apprehension that only 228 doctors may remain in the district hospitals when the two medical colleges become functional, “which will be one of the toughest hours” to manage the healthcare delivery system in the state.

Stating that there are about 671 doctors at AIIMS in New Delhi, he said the total number of doctors in the entire state is not even equivalent to one hospital in the national capital. He said the state is short of 955 doctors and that there should be 2073 doctors at present.

Zhimo went on to inform that about 168 applicants responded to the recent advertisement about vacancy and post creation; 182 doctors were appointed out of it while six withdrew for further studies, leaving the state with 528 doctors at present.