Rs 33,650 salary for neurosurgeon at Shimla's Chamiyana hospital unjustified: Doctors
Medical teachers Association opposes appointment of super-specialist as Job Trainee Medical Officer
The Teachers Association of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda in Kangra district, has expressed concern over the salary structure and service conditions of newly appointed Medical Officers and faculty, including specialists and super-specialists, in Himachal Pradesh. It has termed the policy as unjustified, demoralising and detrimental to public healthcare.
In a press statement issued on Monday, association president Dr Vivek Sood said that the issue surfaced following the recent appointment of a super-specialist in the Neurosurgery Department at the Atal Institute of Medical Super-Specialities at Chamiyana in Shimla, as a “Job Trainee Medical Officer” on a monthly salary of Rs 33,650 though he had done MCh in Neurosurgery.
The association described the designation as professionally inappropriate and undermining the competence, dignity and experience of fully qualified super-specialists. The doctors’ body stated that the physician concerned had undergone nearly 12 years of intensive medical education and training (five-and-a-half years of MBBS, three years of MS (Surgery) and three years of MCh super-specialisation. “Labelling a fully trained super-specialist as a job trainee is not only insulting but also reflects a deeply flawed administrative approach towards highly skilled medical professionals,” the statement said.
Dr Sood said that the doctor had been offered a take-home salary of Rs 33,650 per month, significantly lower than the stipend of around Rs 1.30 lakh per month he had received during the MCh training period. The association termed this disparity in emoluments illogical and contrary to the basic principles of career progression.
“A salary of Rs 33,650 after a decade or more of rigorous training, round-the-clock duties and high medico-legal risk is nothing short of demoralising,” the association said, adding that super-specialists with similar qualifications could easily earn several lakh of rupees per month in the private sector.
The doctors body stressed that public healthcare could not be strengthened by devaluing its human resources. “Fair remuneration, professional dignity and transparent service conditions are essential for building a sustainable and effective health system,” it said.
Dr Sood warned of serious long-term consequences and said that such regressive service conditions would accelerate brain drain, drive young doctors towards private practice or other states and result in an acute shortage of faculty in government medical colleges. This would ultimately compromise the quality of medical education and patient care in Himachal Pradesh, he added.
The association urged the state government to immediately review and rationalise the appointment terms and the salary structure of newly appointed Medical Officers in both peripheral health services and state-run medical colleges.
