Facebook post bares plight of contract doctors in medical college hospitals
Thiruvananthapuram: A Facebook post by a contract lecturer at a government medical college lamenting the delay in the disbursement of salaries since the LDF government came to power has gone viral on the social networking site. The letter by Dr P.S. Jinesh of the Kottayam medical college posted on the Facebook reflected the plight of around 100 lecturers with MD/MS who are working in the five governments medical colleges in the state. “Sir we don’t have any private practice, we don’t receive any cuts from private drug companies or laboratories. I wrote this in pain and helplessness after listening to my daughter’s request to buy her something. I cannot narrate this social commitment story to her. I dedicate this letter to experts in health sector by mortgaging the pride of medicos in one line ‘social commitment,’” the letter said.
“Post-graduate doctors working on contract basis have to wait endlessly to get their salaries. Though the rules clearly say that the current month’s salary should be paid by 7th of next month, the doctors are being harassed in the name of social commitment. This does not behove of any government. The contract doctors’ current salary is Rs 38,000. While doing PG from the same college, we drew 45,000 and during our bond contract, Rs 50,000 respectively. “Despite getting offers of double salaries from private sector, we chose to stay back in government sector due to our social commitment. The salary problem began after the LDF came to power. June salary was given on July 14, July salary on August 26, August on September 26 and September salary is yet to come.
“The authorities are coming up with fresh excuses for the delay. Earlier, they said the delay was caused since salary is being routed through Service and Payroll Administrative Repository of Kerala (SPARK). Then they attributed it to attendance. The authorities should realise that we have family and children. “Those who said everything will be set right, promised to create posts and appoint more people are now increasing the bond period. Those who talked about raising the standards of medical colleges in Kerala to the status of All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have now reduced the entrance eligibility. All these measures are against the promises made in the manifesto,” Jinesh reminded.
