Anantapur: Praja Science Vedika flays govt for giving least priority to doctors

Anantapur: Praja Science Vedika state president Dr M Suresh Babu has taken a dig at the state government for according least priority to medical officers remuneration and payment of decent pay scales to doctors opting for service in government institutions.

In a press statement, he observed that government medical colleges do not have teachers. Soon after superannuation, government doctors prefer to join in private medical colleges as principals, registrar, head of the departments. A fresh MD/MS medico who passes out gets four times more pay than a doctor having 30 years of service – four times more pay on the day he passes. So, why should an experienced doctor continue in government service? he asks. Importance of a decent remuneration in any job cannot be undermined.

Though the nature of the medical profession is such, that concerns of remuneration take a backseat in general, yet still with a vast difference of pay scales existing in public and private sector for the same posts, preventing the medicos from joining public sector health institutions. He regretted the government is taking vindictive measures by stopping all increments, DA, DR and IR for a period of one year. In addition, they are imposing hardships on promotions and bonus. DPC interviews has to be conducted every year regularly, the government stopped DPC interviews since 2017. Very few time-bound promotions were given to some doctors, where there will be a hike of Rs 2,000 in AGP.

Though the government has issued 3 notifications within a span of two weeks, doctors are reluctant to join duties. On the other side, the state government is hurting its employees and pensioners by freezing their dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) instead of cutting down on "wasteful expenditure" during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has taken an insensitive and inhuman decision to cut the DA of its employees, pensioners, who are serving the public by fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The very basis of payment of DA and DR is to compensate the employees and the pensioners for the increase in the cost of living. After the cost of living has gone up, it is unfair to deny the compensation to the employees. This poor show is due to the lethargic attitude of the state government and district officials. When the state government failed to keep the promises and the district officials failed to safe guard the employees, how can a doctor discharge his duties? he demanded to know. No wonder, the government has no takers for its temporary recruitment of 1,170 specialists and 1,170 duty medical officers, supressing the vacancies of the permanent posts.