The Railway Hospital in Madurai Division has laid down new conditions for employees seeking medical treatment and sick leave, sources in the Southern Railway said on Monday.
Employees approaching the doctors for treatment have to sign an undertaking that he/she is not under orders of transfer/emergency duty/disciplinary action. Also, they have to admit in writing that they have not been drafted for refresher/organisational training programmes and would not leave the headquarters during the sick period.
Shocked over the insistence of these conditions, the trade unions have taken up the issue with the management. In a representation to the Principal Chief Medical Director, the All India Loco Running Staff Association expressed concern that sick leave was being denied to employees failing or refusing to give such a declaration.
“There is no choice before the employee who seeks medical attendance than to sign in the dotted lines. This practice is not insisted upon in any hospital across the Indian Railways, except in Madurai Division,” AILRSA central organising secretary V. Balachandran told The Hindu on Monday.
“Declaration unnecessary”
He said the association told the Principal Chief Medical Director that sick leave must be extended to those who were ill, even if they were on emergency duty or under the order of transfer and drafted for departmental training, etc. Such being the case, compelling the employee to give such a declaration against his/her own will was unnecessary.
In a few cases, employees were compelled to give false declaration to get treatment and sick leave. Based on such declarations, disciplinary action was being initiated in some cases that made things worse. In the case of two Loco Pilots, major penalty charges were initiated because they signed a declaration that they were not drafted for refresher course, he said.
“Both the employees were actually ill and one was even admitted to the Railway Hospital for five days. They were compelled to sign the declaration to get sick leave. Had they not signed or revealed that they were drafted for refresher course, treatment and medical leave attendance might have been denied…It is unfair to put an employee who is unwell under such unpleasant bargaining situation,” Mr. Balachandran said.
Southern Railway Mazdoor Union, divisional secretary, Madurai, J.M. Rafi said the union had flagged the issue with the Chief Medical Superintendent and other senior railway officials. “When an employee reports sick, it is up to the doctor to diagnose the problem and decide whether he/she should be given treatment along with sick leave or not. It should be the botheration of the administration to manage shortage of manpower or other related issues and not the medical authorities whose primary responsibility is to render treatment to the ill,” he said. Besides, he urged that the new policy be withdrawn in the interests of employees and safety of operations in railways.
When contacted for comments, a senior railway official in the Health Department said he was not aware of the issue as he had joined recently.
