Government doctors in Haryana have launched an indefinite strike from Tuesday, despite the state invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), which prohibits medical staff from striking for the next six months.
The General Administration Department issued a notification saying the Governor believed that any strike by doctors would “seriously impact public health and essential services.” Under Section 4A(1) of the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1974, all doctors and Health Department employees are barred from participating in any strike during this period.
However, the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) has refused to step back. The association, representing more than 3,000 doctors, is protesting the government’s decision to allow direct recruitment of Specialist Medical Officers (SMOs). They also want the formal notification and implementation of the revised Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme, which they say was approved in 2024 but remains unissued.
After a meeting, HCMSA members decided to intensify their agitation. “Even with ESMA imposed, we will continue our protest. We are not against promoting medical officers to specialist roles. Our objection is to direct recruitment, which threatens the job security of in-service doctors. The government must address ACP concerns first,” said an HCMSA member.
The association had earlier staged a two-hour pen-down strike on November 27, but with no results. They maintain that internal promotions should remain the main pathway for career growth rather than bringing in specialists through lateral hiring.
Meanwhile, some specialist doctors have opted out of the protest and are continuing OPD services at government hospitals. They argue that opposing direct recruitment is counterproductive at a time when the state faces a shortage of over 600 specialists.
The ESMA order, signed by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, has been circulated to senior officials in the Home Department, the Medical Education and Research Department, and all divisional and district administrations for strict enforcement.
This confrontation comes amid rising dissatisfaction among government doctors about service conditions and administrative decisions. With ESMA now in force, any strike or related activity over the next six months could lead to legal penalties.