Doctors stage demonstration; demand central pay scales

Over 150 members of the outfit gathered at MMC to draw the State’s attention towards their plights on various issues.

R Karthikeyan, a service postgraduate at the MMC, emphasised there was a huge gap between the pay structures of the doctors serving in the State and the Central government. He said, “Take my case. I earn Rs 40,000, when a doctor serving under the Central government with the same experience draws close to Rs 80,000.” 

Karthikeyan added that there were several other disparities. He further said, “Many doctors under the State government service die at 50 or even earlier. But there is no facility of corpus for their families. We can make a monthly contribution towards it.”

While they have been assured by the Directorate of Medical Education Narayana Babu of a meeting with the State Health Secretary and State Health Minister, the association will soon decide on its course of action in their general body meeting shortly. He said, “We have been holding similar dharnas across thye State between April 10 and 17. We will wait for the government’s response before planning our next step.”