Doctors panel agree to monthly deduction of Rs 500 for corpus fund

CHENNAI: The Federation of Government Doctor’s Association (FOGDA) discussed several issues pertaining to the medical fraternity, including the implementation of GO 354, with the health secretary. Doctors hope that proactive measures were taken to resolve the issues.

The association presented the importance of review of GO 354 to offer pay band compression, citing the recent grant of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) in other States like Punjab etc.

Doctors have been emphasising the need to implement the GO requesting implementation of pay band 4 that states that government doctors must be given salaries on par with the Union Government doctors. They also highlighted that the allowance of Rs 3,000 should be given to those medical officers who were not benefited out of GO 2.

Responding to the same, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has stated that the proposal has been sent to the government for consideration.

Regarding the Doctor’s Corpus Fund (DCF), the association agreed to start a deduction of Rs 500 every month from all medical officers who have not dissented against the deduction from salary. More than 12,000 government doctors, who contribute the monthly amount, have been enrolled in the DCF.

The panel also suggested proper examination and interview to induct new specialists instead of MRB walk-in interviews and raised strong objections against the same. They also raised the issue regarding the security arrangements in health centres and urged the health department officials to strengthen them.