Several healthcare workers to be given hike in the salaries

CHENNAI: The state health department has increased the salaries of it's government staff nurses and other healthcare workers since April. Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced the increase in the salaries recently.

As many as 28,982 healthcare workers have been given a 30 percent hike in their pay with Rs. 89.82 crore expenditure added to the budget. While 5,971 healthcare field workers had also requested for an increment and Rs. 32.78 crore has been issued for the same and the orders will be issued in an event next month.

The salaries of government staff nurses who were hired for several works during the pandemic has been increased from Rs.14,500 to Rs. 18,000 from April, health minister Ma Subramanian said on Sunday. The 4,848 nurses will be benefitted from the same and the 2,448 healthcare workers who have been working under the National Health Mission have also been given an increment in the salary from Rs. 11,000 to Rs. 14,000 since April. He said that even the contract healthcare workers will be given a maternity leave as requested by them and six months period can be availed for the same.

When asked about the facilities for the attendants of in-patients at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, he said that the sheds have been provided and the accomodation facilities cannot be provided as it would be inconvenient for the patients and hospital authorities.

He said that Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu also launched a nutrition programme for one to six year olds in the Nilgiris. The state health department has planned to set up three rehabilitation centers at Erode Government Hospital, Karur Government Hospital and Chennai Stanley Government Hospital at a cost of Rs. 44 lakhs to reduce the incidence of malnutrition.

Health Minister also visited several patients at the Omandurar Multi-Super Speciality Hospital on Sunday. He met a patient Balaji, a 21-year-old college student who is being treated at the hospital in a separate treatment unit for athletes. He is a boxer and has participated in 6 national boxing tournaments. He also visited another boy from Krishnagiri district who incurred burns after using sanitizer and then fire. Another class 12th student who had a fall was also provided with special arrangements to appear for her board exams from the hospital and back.