Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh
AFTER reportedly getting below par response to various drives to recruit medical officers in Punjab government hospitals, the state government has announced giving ‘full’ pay scale to the new medical officers (MOs) instead of only ‘basic pay’ for first three years, as was decided by the previous SAD government.
This will be the first recruitment drive by Congress government after coming to power. The advertisement for fresh recruitment for 306 posts was issued on March 23, and a notification citing full pay scale was issued a few days after that. Written test for the posts took place on April 22.
Earlier, recruitment drives conducted from 2015 to 2016 had received poor response due to change in policy by the previous SAD-BJP government. The basic pay for medical officers is Rs 15,600 only. This is for MBBS doctors. While if they are given full pay scale, which includes perks like DA, HRA, the salary of a beginner MO will be close to Rs 58,000 a month.
Dr Vishavdeep Rana, working as a medical officer (MO) at Civil Hospital, Faridkot and also president of young PCMS doctors association said, “In 2015, Punjab government had made a policy that any employee working in a government department will get only basic pay for the first two years, specialist doctors and judiciary was kept out of it. In the mid of 2015, posts for 404 MOs were advertised and while the recruitment drive was going on, the then Health Minister, Surjit Jayani, had given a statement that MOs will also get full pay scale like specialists due to which all the 404 doctors joined. However, nothing was done due to which we sat on strike from November 2015 and January 2016. Again after assurance we went back to our jobs….Interestingly, the government had increased the probation period to 3 years instead of 2 years in another advertisement for recruitment issued in October 2016.”
Dr Jagjit Singh, a Gynaecologist working in Ludhiana Civil Hospital and also from specialists doctors association, Punjab, said, “The new government also advertised in March this year. It was their first attempt to recruit doctors. As they did not get any response after advertising posts earlier, they issued notification of giving full pay scale to the MOs on lines of specialists. This was given in March itself. Tests for new posts have been taken and interviews are yet to be taken. We welcome this step as giving Rs 15,600 to a doctor is an insult who works had for getting MBBS
degree.”
Dr Rana added, “Fee in medical colleges is increasing exorbitantly while government made a mockery of us by giving us just basic salary…Though the new doctors will be getting full pay scale, but there is no clarity over the recruitment done since 2015 as whether their arrears will be paid or not….”
Meanwhile, a deputation of doctors is planning to meet health minister Brahm Mohindra on Tuesday at Kotkapura with these demands.