Will revise doctors’ pay scale: Health Minister

Tribune News Service

Nawanshahr, May 28

Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the Punjab Government would soon restructure the ‘pay scale’ of doctors to strengthen the government health services.

He said as many as 550 new doctors would join by next month, whose salary had been increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 70,000. Earlier, the salary of doctors in Punjab had decreased from Rs 1.41 lakh to Rs 1.18 lakh, forcing doctors to leave their jobs. This was stated by the Health Minister after inaugurating the Pulse Polio Drive here in Nawanshahr Civil Hospital on Sunday.

He said Punjab was in a dire need of doctors and the government was committed to making up the shortage of medical specialists, radio diagnostics, gynaecologists and other specialists at its own level.

Singh said in the near future, the emergency medical services of the government hospitals would be equipped with all required tests, medical experts and medicines to make it more responsive.

He claimed that the 580 Aam Aadmi Clinics opened in the state had provided a major relief to the common people in the healthcare field, due to which the rush of OPD patients in the government hospitals had reduced. He directed the Director Health and Family Welfare to provide special training to Community Health Officers and ASHA workers to sensitise the common people about diseases like diabetes and BP by giving yoga tips, importance of walk and other activities, especially the pregnant women falling in the high-risk zone.

550 new joinees by next month

As many as 550 new doctors will join by next month, whose salary had been increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 70,000. Earlier, the salary of doctors in Punjab had been decreased from Rs 1.41 lakh to Rs 1.18 lakh, forcing them to leave their jobs. — Dr Balbir Singh, Health Minister