Himachal Pradesh doctors have agreed to end their pen-down strike after assurance by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu that contractual doctors would not be deprived of NPA benefits.

The doctors across the state had started a one and half hours long pen-down strike on May 29, demanding roll back of NPA denial to doctors to be newly recruited.

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A delegation of doctors on Saturday met the Chief Minister.

The state government has not abolished NPA for the medical officers but has withdrawn it for the time being, said Sukhu.

He also accepted the demands of delegating the DDO powers to the Principal of the Medical Colleges, giving representation to the doctors in Himachal Pradesh Medical Corporation and time-bound DPCs for the promotion of doctors.

Sukhu said that the doctors’ pen-down strike was illogical as the state government has not stopped the NPA of the doctors working in various health institutions and they should have come forward to discuss the issues with the government before going to pen-down strike.

The Chief Minister said that in just five months of assuming the office, the present state government has taken various measures for the well-being of the medical fraternity.

“To provide better working conditions, the state government has initiated various reforms in the health sector. Besides increasing staff strength of doctors, the state government is also working to create and fill up various posts of para-medical staff,” he said.

The state government has decided to create a Department of Emergency Medicines in all the medical colleges of the state with a view to strengthen the casualty department, he said.

Additionally, doctors were being sent on exposure visits to the reputed health institutions of the world to get acquainted with modern medical inventions and techniques, he added.

The Chief Minister said that a scheme was underway to promote health tourism in the state and deliberations are being held with the giant companies already working in this sector.

This will provide employment avenues to the doctors and other health functionaries, he said, adding that the state government has reinstated the Old Pension Scheme to its employees to provide them with social security.

He said the Central Government has reduced the loan limit by Rs 5500 crore to the state and termed it as an unfair step of the Union Government because the state government had restored the Old Pension Scheme to its employees.

Despite this, the state government is diligently working for the welfare of the employees, he asserted.