Doctors urge govt to announce pay band-4 implementation, new appointments in TN Assembly session
Doctors also point out that several welfare schemes are being implemented by the state health department but there are not adequate number of doctors, nurses and paramedical staffs.
Representative image. (File)
CHENNAI: Even as the Assembly session has begun, the government doctors await the announcement regarding their long pending demand of the implementation of pay band-4 for those with a service of 12 years for the government doctors as per GO 354.
They also urge the government to increase the budget of the health department to make new appointments and to implement pay band-4.
The government doctors associations say that though the infrastructure of hospitals has been strengthened multi fold compared to the last 10-15 years, the pay structure of the government doctors has not been revised.
A request letter by the Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors to the State Health Department stated that even the Speciality and that of Super speciality Doctors of Tamil Nadu Government are paid Rs 40,000 less, every month, than the doctors with MBBS qualification of other States.
"We want the implementation of the GO 354 that was notified in 2009, stating that state government doctors will be given the salaries on par with the central government doctors. The increase in budget allocation for the health department would help in the implementation," says Dr S Perumal Pillai, president of the Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors.
Doctors also point out that several welfare schemes are being implemented by the state health department but there are not adequate number of doctors, nurses and paramedical staffs.
The Doctor's Association for Social Equality also demanded the increase in the health department budget for adequate staff appointment and welfare scheme implementation.
"We need to appoint more staff, especially in Primary Health Centers for providing better service to the people. The PHCs need to run round the clock but with limited staff, it affects the services and even paramedical staff is not in adequate numbers. The implementation of Old Pension Scheme would be ideal. The burden of the existing staff and doctors need to be reduced by making more appointments," said Dr G R Rabindranath, secretary of Doctor's Association for Social Equality.
