Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MD)
Mangaluru, Dec 21: Health and family welfare minister U T Khadar said on Sunday December 21 that he was silenced by the outburst from opposition members in the Assembly when issues pertaining to shortage of doctors and disproportion in salary of doctors on contract were raised.
He said this while speaking to reporters after the inaugurating the sensitization programme for staff nurses at Wenlock hosptial on Sunday.
"They (opposition members) did not allow me to answer even though I was prepared with an answer. The disparity in the salary of doctors, who are working on contracts, is due to a communication error on part of DHOs of certain districts," he said.
Khadar told reporters here that the disparity was noticed only at a few places due to oversight on part of the DHOs. "As per the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations of 2007, the salary of doctors on contract in government hospitals was Rs 28,000, which included dearness allowance of Rs 13,950. However, in the revision of pay scale in 2012 as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, the dearness allowance has not been mentioned and this led to disparity at a few places resulting in decrease in the payment of salaries to doctors on contract by half," he said.
"We have sent a new proposal with an increased dearness allowance of 125.25% to the finance department. Accordingly, the salary of doctors on contract will be around Rs 31,000 once it is approved by the finance department," he said, and added that he would hold discussion with the finance department on this.
'Inefficiency bigger problem than corruption'
After inaugurating the programme, Khadar said that lack of efficiency is a major issue, a problem bigger than corruption. "Improving the efficiency of every staff member in government hospitals is the main objective of the health department. The sensitization programme organised in this direction here is a pilot programme launched in Mangaluru in association with Inner Wheel Club. Based on its success, such programmes will be held in other districts too," he added.
Stanley David, soft skills trainer and founder CEO of Stanley David & Associates, Bangalore, resource person Preethi P, Wenlock Hospital superintendent H R Rajeshwar Devi, Inner Wheel Club of Mangalore North president Nalini Kini and coordinator Malini Hebbar were present.