Bangalore, Oct 25 (DHNS): Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khadar, who was pulled up by Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa over the shortage of government doctors, defended himself on Friday, saying, “the Speaker has only given him some suggestions out of affection.”
Speaking to reporters, Khadar denied being pulled up and claimed to be happy about the department taking steps to solve problems such as non-availability of doctors and drugs in government hospitals. He also listed out measures taken to ensure effective healthcare services to people.
Kagodu had on Thursday summoned Khadar and his department officials and took them to task for not responding to problems, especially non-availability of doctors.
The Speaker had also written a letter to the minister in this regard, besides holding a meeting with him.
Khadar said the department had decided to recruit 983 specialist doctors, 331 MBBS doctors, 87 dental doctors, 1,228 nurses and 318 drivers.
Revised salary
The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) has been asked to recruit the doctors and the department has even proposed an increase in the monthly salary of doctors.
Salary revision is proposed in the range of Rs 70,224 (general duty medical officer) to Rs 1,03,011 (senior specialist). But the proposal is yet to be cleared by the Finance department, he added. Further, the department has decided to supply drugs to hospitals based on demand. Expenditure on drugs per person has been hiked to Rs 270 from Rs 142.
This apart, a 24/7 pharmacy will be opened at all district- and taluk-level hospitals. “The Speaker did not summon me. I went to him on my own and apprised him of all these measures. Moreover, the Speaker and the chief minister have every right to be angry with me. They do it out of affection,” he stated.
Doctors' strike: 'No need to panic, govt to ready plan B if needed'
There is no need to panic over government medical doctors threatening to go on strike, Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khadar said on Friday. According to him, his department will make alternative arrangements, if necessary, and ensure proper healthcare services.
Addressing reporters here, he said that he was open to holding talks with the doctors and discussing their demands. “Specialist doctors will not go on strike. Majority of the MBBS doctors have said they will not cause any inconvenience to the people even if they go on strike. Doctors who have real concern will not go on strike,” he added.
When asked about the doctors’ threat to resign en masse on October 27 if their demands are not fulfilled, the minister said that the government would take appropriate decisions if they resort to resignation. But he did not divulge the alternative options before the government.
The department has no objection to fulfilling demands such as increasing the salary of contract doctors to Rs 28,000 a month and chalking out a separate transfer policy. But on providing allowances to the contract doctors on a par with regular doctors, he said that he could not go against the contract agreement. “Why did they sign the agreement in the first place? It is not proper to change their stance after entering an agreement,” he asked. On the demand to retain medical doctors as food inspectors, he said: “How can the government agree with such a demand when there is an acute shortage of doctors. It is unreasonable.”
Meeting with CM
Following the meeting with the minister, the president of Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA), Dr Veerabhadraiah, said that Khadar had agreed to most of their demands. He also agreed to schedule a meeting with the chief minister shortly. “The health minister has assured us that a meeting with the chief minister, law and revenue ministers will be scheduled to discuss the demands. The meeting is likely to be held on October 27,” he added.
The KGMOA has asked the health department not to hand over six district hospitals to the Medical Education Department (MED). The district hospitals in Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Gulbarga, Koppal, Gadag and Uttara Kannada have been scheduled to be handed over to the MED during the current financial year.
The association members have also demanded that the government create the post of Casualty Medical Officers (CMO) in district hospitals to ease the work of specialists. They want eight posts to be created in district hospitals and five in taluk hospitals. Along with this, they have urged the government to increase the salaries of contract doctors.