Tribune News Service Amritsar August 4 To intensify the protest all administrative works at the Civil Surgeons office have also been boycotted by the employees resulting in the loss of services for the general public. With no end in sight the ongoing protest by the medical fraternity has been proving dearer for the poor patients as they were unable to get the required medical help. Now as the administrative services have also been disrupted the public services as birth and death registration disability certificates and others have been stopped. The employees are protesting against the reduction in non-practising allowance (NPA) its delinking from the basic salary and cut on other allowances for last one month. The faculty members at Government Medical College took a mass casual leave on Wednesday to protest against the state government. The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) also organised a protest at the Civil Surgeons office on Wednesday which was attended by prominent Indian Medical Association (IMA) leaders including Punjab president Dr KD Singh and district president Dr Amandeep Kaur. PCMSA Amritsar president Dr Madan Mohan said talks are going on with the state government. He hinted that a solution might be found soon as positive indications have been received. Sunita Devi a visitor to Government Medical College said: "Government hospitals are usually visited by poor people as they cannot afford treatment at private hospitals. As my son is sick I will now have to visit a private clinic which is costlier compared to OPD charges at government hospitals." Meanwhile the Veterinary Officers Association held a protest at the Veterinary Department for the third consecutive day and boycotted services. Association president Dr Gagandeep Singh Dhillon said the adamant attitude of the Finance Minister was responsible for the loss of services for the public. Docs lock Civil Surgeons office in Tarn Taran Doctors protest in front of the SMOs office in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. Photo: Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran: With no fruitful results from Tuesdays meeting with the government the PCMSA members continued with their strike at all government hospitals in Tarn Taran district against the report of the 6th Pay Commission. The doctors also closed the offices of the SMO and Civil Surgeon here on Wednesday. Dr Jaspreet Singh president PCMSA said on the recommendation of the 6th Pay Commission the non-practising allowance (NPA) has been reduced from 25 per cent to 20 per cent and delinked from the basic pay which will result in financial loss to doctors. The strike was held in protest of that but emergency and Covid-related services were exempted. The government has constituted a committee comprising principal secretaries to resolve the issue but the meetings bore no fruit. The protesting doctors said they were hopeful that the government would take up the matter at the earliest. Dr Satwinder Singh Dr Surinder Bhagat Dr GS Kalra Dr Surinder Dr Navpreet Dr Ramandeep Padda Dr Sumeet Singh Dr Sahil Gupta Dr Pankaj Arora were present in the protest lodged in front of the Civil Surgeons office. OC

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