TN Govt Doctors Pay Anomalies By TNGDA

PAY AND ALLOWANCES

The Tamilnadu Government Doctors’ Association requests the Govt. of Tamilnadu to constitute a separate a special committee to fix the pay and allowances for govt. doctors. The pay scale of doctors is unique in that it comprises diversified cadres in three directorates with varying job function and speciality work. More over certain specialist are scarcer and much wanted.

1. Pay Scale:

The starting scale of Asst. surgeons in DPH and DMS side and tutors in DME side should be on par with the starting scale of Health Officers. The present scale is Rs 8000/- and Rs 9100/- respectively. Even the Task Force report of the National Rural Health Mission insists that the pay scale of doctors should be on par with class 1 officers in the state.

ALLOWANCES:

· Teaching Allowance: (Patient Allowance) The teachers in medical colleges are unique in that that they do additional job unlike teachers in engineering or arts colleges. The teachers are involved in specialist treatment of patients apart from teaching students. These teachers are given just Rs 100 p.m. extra as teaching allowance. As this allowance for teachers are in fact a compensation for their specialist curative job in medical college hospitals, all the faculty in medical colleges should be eligible, except Department of Anatomy and Physiology. The allowance should be 40 % of the basic pay.

· Academic Allowance: This allowance should be given to all teachers in medical college. This allowance should depend on the rarity of the speciality. The allowance should be 40% of basic pay for those who teach undergraduates. Additional 20% should be given to those who teach post -graduates also.

· Rare Speciality Allowance: The faculty in some departments are very rarer then others. These rare specialists tend to opt for private medical colleges because of very high offer. So as to attract these essential faculty teachers – as in Community Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Biochemistry and Anatomy, this allowance to be given to them. The allowance should vary from 75 to 100% of their basic pay depending on the rarity.

· Overcoat Allowance to be changed as uniform allowance and enhanced from Rs 275/- to Rs 2000/- p.a. This should include 3 sets of overcoats/ theater coats and 1 set of appropriate foot wear.

· Post Mortem Allowance: The doctors were given post mortem allowance of Rs 75/- per case. The PM is an important legal procedure and has lot of protocols. This allowance is to be enhanced from Rs 75/- to Rs 250 /- per post mortem.

· Court Allowance: The doctors have to attend court as an expert winess for those medico-legal cases or postmortem cases. The court duty is either to a local court (within district) or outside court. The TA/DA for local court (all courts within the district) visit can be given as flat rate of Rs 300/- per visit and for other court duty the TA/DA as per rules can be claimed.

· Administrative allowance: The administrative allowance of atleast 10% of the basic pay should be given to all medical officers doing administrative work. It should be given to all medical officers who do administrative duty apart from clinical duty and may range from a Block Medical officer in PHCs to Directors.

· Other compensatory allowance: This allowance is given in lieu of “restricted private practice”. All the doctors other than that in PHCs are eligible. Presently Rs 150 p.m. is being given to doctors in GHs and Medical Colleges. This should be raised to 10% of basic.

· Risk allowances: This allowance is a mandatory allowance for doctors in the present context of the risk of infection of Tuberculosis, HIV and Hepatitis. The doctors with the poor protective gears and other infrastructure in the hospitals coupled with poor hygienic and sanitary practices of our patients are a “high risk” group for contracting infection. A allowance to compensate this risk is atmost essential and this risk allowance should be 10% of basic pay.

· Overtime allowance: Doctors especially in DMS and DPH side on an average work for 52 to 70 hours every week against the stipulated working hours of 45 hours weekly. So these doctors who do duty in excess of 50 hours weekly should be given an overtime allowance of Rs 150 per hour of overtime as allowance. Also they have to do out of hours duty due to emergencies and epidemics.

· Conveyance allowance: As medical officers attend emergency duty at odd hours it is a must that all of them have their own conveyance. This allowance is given to them to maintain their conveyance to be used for calls and urgent works. A consolidated amount of Rs 1500/-pm to be given as conveyance allowance.

· Mobile allowance: Better communication is very essential in medical service. Even inside the hospital, contacting a specialist through mobile phone may save crucial minutes in saving lives. With most mobile service providers providing “closed user group” facility, wherein the calls within the group is free, this will help better utilization of doctors’ service. A monthly mobile allowance of Rs250/- pm be given.

· Uniform allowance: Presently the doctors were given an overcoat allowance of Rs 250/- per annum. With increased risk of deadly infections it is essential doctors wear overcoats, theater dresses, protective foot wear, goggles etc. So an annual uniform allowance of Rs 200/- per annum be given.

· Washing allowance: A washing allowance of Rs 200 per month be given to maintain the uniform for the doctors.

· Stay Duty Allowance: in order to encourage doctors doing stay duty for 24 hours a sum of Rs 1500 per each “stay duty”. 40 & 25% extra for PG degree and diploma doctors doing respectively.

· Call duty allowance: In hospitals, specialists and other doctors are called to attend cases; give opinion, do surgeries, procedures during out of duty hours. To encourage these services a call duty allowance of Rs 250/- per calls should be given to the doctors.

· House Rent Allowance: As applicable to other sectors + PHC/ GH allowance.

· Conference Allowance: Medical Council of India insists on presentation of papers in national/ regional conferences and insists on exchange of information and knowledge to all medical teachers. A TA/DA for participation of the National Conference of the particular speciality be given. The Union government insists on all doctors refreshing and updating their knowledge by attending Continuing Medical Education (CME) for stipulated hours every 5 years. Hence, the doctor in government service should be allowed to attend recognized CME/ conferences for atleast 24 hours every year.

· PG qualification allowance: 40% of basic pay for Master degree and 25% for Diploma.

· Emergency Duty allowance: (CEMONC, Casualty, Epidemic duty others on emergency duty) :

· Special Duty allowance: (VIP convoy/ Medical Board/ Jail visit/ Physical check-up for students, staff; Camps-VKT, disability/ Epidemic duties etc).

· The PHC allowance: to be raised to 20% of the basic.

· GH allowance: This is for doctors working in GH. Most of the GHs are in Municipalities and towns. The doctors should have to compensate for their children education in such setup.

· The supervisory allowance: in PHC to be raised to Rs 1000/- per month per medical officer in each PHC.

· The “Fixed TA” to be raised to Rs 1000/- per month and to be sanctioned by the drawing officer.

· Leave Travel Concession: For doctors once in 4 years/ 8 years all India/ Foreign tours to be allowed

· Loans: (in subsidized interest of 5 -8 % p.a.) for doctors for

1. Children Education (5 to 10 lakhs)

2. Car (5 to 10 lakhs)

3. House (10 to 20 lakhs)

· VRS: as for other govt. servants. Post retirement recruitment with attractive pay + perks will solve the shortage of specialists and faculty.

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DUTY TIMINGS:

In GH and PHC doctors work from 50 to 76 H every week. The duty time to be brought to 40 H weekly. The number of working days to be modified as 5 days a week with working hours of 8 ½ hours a day. Or it should be modified to reduce the working hours/ day.

PHC: The duty timings of the PHC MO should be brought to realistic levels of maximum of 40 hours weekly.

Presently –

ü In non-upgraded PHCs: 54 H + call duty for 45 H / week.

ü The weekly duty timings in upgraded PHCs are 48 H.

ü Requested timings for

Non-upgraded PHC: 8 to 2 (1 MO OPD / 1 MO Field visit) + 4 to 5 (1 MO).

Upgraded PHC: 1 + 5 MOs / No MLC

· No call duty or office work

ü Non taluk hospital:

o Minimum 5 doctors + 1 CMO

o 3 shifts 8-2/ 2-8/ 8-8 on rotation (average 8 h /day)

o 8x6 = 48 h/ day

o OPD: 8 to 12 noon/ emergencies & MLCs round the clock

o No evening OPD

ü Taluk hospital:

ü Specialist:

ü OG, Anasthesia, Pediatrician, Ortho, Medicine, surgeon, radiology – OP + calls.

ü 8 am to 2 pm + calls. (36 H + calls)

ü Non specialist: 5 Casualty MOs

o 3 shifts 8-2/ 2-8/ 8-8 on rotation (average 8 h /day)

o 8x6 = 48 h/ day

ü District Hospital:

ü Specialist: 8 am to 2 pm + calls. (36 H + calls)

ü Non specialist: 5 Casualty MOs

o 3 shifts 8-2/ 2-8/ 8-8 on rotation (average 8 h /day)

o 8x6 = 48 h/ day

ü CEMONC Centre:

ü Specialist: minimum 5-OG, 2 - Anasthesia,2-Pediatrician

o 4 shifts 8-2/ 2-8/ 8-8 on rotation (average 8 h /day)

o 8x6 = 48 h/ day

· Separate posts to be created for work like Varumun Kappom Thittam, Blood Bank/ Storage Units, Disability Camps, out reach camps, High Courts etc.

· Any additional scheme, ward, OPD etc should always be sanctioned with additional Medical Officers.

REQUIREMENT OF POSTS IN DMS SIDE

Norms:

ü Identification of posts – specialist (specialty wise) and non specialist.

ü Both non specialist and specialist posts to be identified

ü MBBS qualified to be posted in non specialist posts

ü Diploma and PG degree doctors will work in specialist posts

ü Working hours to be modified to 7 hours a day.

Non taluk hospital:

o No specialist required

o Minimum 5 doctors + 1 CMO

Taluk hospital:

ü Specialist:

ü Minimum 2-OG, 2- Anesthesia, 1-Pediatrician, 1-Ortho, 1-Medicine, 1-surgeon, 1-radiology.

ü + 1 for extra 15 beds.

ü +1 for 30 extra deliveries p.m.

ü +1 for 15 extra caesarian p.m.

ü +1 for 15 extra surgeries p.m.

ü Non specialist: 5 Casualty MOs + depending on OPD @ rate of 1 for extra 50 patients.

District Hospital:

ü Specialist: minimum 2-OG, 2- Anasthesia, 2-Pediatrician, 2-Ortho, 2-Medicine, 2-surgeon, 2-radiology + 1 for extra 15 beds and 1 for 30 extra deliveries p.m. and 1 for 15 extra caesarian p.m. and 1 for 15 extra surgeries p.m.

ü Non specialist: 5 Casualty MOs + depending on OPD @ rate of 1 for extra 75 patients.

CEMONC Centre:

ü Specialist: minimum 4-OG, 4- Anasthesia, 4-Pediatrician

o 1 for extra 15 beds and 1 for 30 extra deliveries p.m. and 1 for 15 extra caesarian p.m. and 1 for 15 extra surgeries p.m.

· Separate posts of doctors to be created for work like Varumun Kappom Thittam, Disability Camps, out reach camps, High Courts, any extra ward, unit or speciality.

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