Doctors disappointed with pay revision

THIRUVANANTHaPURAM: Doctors of the health service department, who manage patient care activities in over 1,250 health institutions across the state, are on the warpath over the shoddy treatment meted out to them in the tenth Pay Commission award. They are cut up with the UDF government for its failure to address their issues pertaining to salary, allowances and staff strength.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) which represents the health service doctors lament that they would not get an increase of even a single penny after the implementation of the pay panel recommendations.

“We pinned our hopes on the pay revision award. But now our fraternity is a disappointed lot. We have  submitted a memorandum to the government citing the anomalies, demands and even observed a day-long token strike," said Dr Raoof A K, state secretary KGMOA.

It has pointed out anomaly in basic pay of assistant surgeons/ junior consultant, assistant director/ consultant/civil surgeon, deputy director/ senior consultant/civil surgeons, additional DHS/ chief consultant and director of health services.

A loss of Rs 1,200, Rs 10,500, Rs 14,200, Rs 12,400 and Rs 8,400 has been pointed out in the starting pay of assistant surgeons, assistant directors, deputy director, additional director health services and director of health service respectively.

The doctors are disappointed that the common special allowance merged with basic pay had not been protected in the pay revision order. It may be recalled that as per agreement reached with LDF government in 2008, the then health minister had granted common special allowance of Rs 4,000 each to the doctors in 2011.

The government also promised to merge the special allowance at the time of the next pay commission. However, it was not included citing elections. The KGMOA said many of its demands had been overlooked; higher start for specialists  not given, higher pay for higher qualification offered in the commission report  not honoured, higher start should be given as special pay (amounting to two increments) or additional  two advance increments to specialists and super specialist to all levels of their pay to get the actual benefit.

It has demanded that the director of speciality posts and super specialist cadre should be implemented as per panel recommendations. The association has called for maintaining the ratio between civil surgeons and assistant surgeons in promotion posts  and hike in various allowances.

“Apart from salary and allowance hike, an increase in staff strength has been a major pending demand of  our association. With the department facing a shortage of nearly 900 doctors, including assistant surgeons, specialists and specialist (admn) cadre, the day-to-day patient care activities in 1,250-odd hospitals under the health department had been adversely affected," said Dr V Madhu .

Moreover,  the existing doctors are taking the extra load in view of patient rush. “In most government hospitals a patient has to wait for 20 to 30 minutes to see a doctor,” said Dr V Madhu, state president KGMOA.

The existing doctor strength is based on the staff pattern which was finalised in 1966. Though 400 posts were created between 1966 and till date, considering the work load and increase in the number of patients over the years, the department requires at least 8,000 doctors. However, the present strength is only close to 4,000.

“Many doctors are working for more than 17 hours since there is no replacement next day,” said a surgeon. To add to the work load, the government had started cancer care facilities in many hospitals without creating separate specialities for radio diagnosis and radiotherapy.

The government had also gone on a spree to upgrade taluk hospitals into district and district hospitals into general hospitals. Barring the change in boards, nothing else is happening.

In the midst of the shortage, the government has started new medical colleges in Manjeri, Idukki and General hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, and redeployed health service doctors to the new institutions. The KGMOA hopes the new government that comes to power  after the polls would address the issue of doctors in a realistic manner to revive the public health care sector.