Stipend of Covid duty resident doctors up by 40%

FROM APRIL 1

Stipend of Covid duty resident doctors up by 40%

Came After Surat Doctors Threatened To Boycott Work

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Gandhinagar:01.05.2021 

In a significant decision aimed at ensuring that medical personnel are available without interruption for Covid-19 duties, the Gujarat government on Friday announced a 40% increase in the stipend of resident doctors at Covid hospitals.

The decision was taken after a video conference between deputy CM Nitin Patel and representatives of the Junior Doctor’s Association (JDA) on Friday, even as resident doctors in Surat threatened to boycott work from Saturday. Doctors from across the state extended their support to the Surat doctors.

“We held a video conference with Nitin Patel, who has agreed to our demands to increase the stipend. This should have been done earlier. Now that the stipend has been increased, doctors have withdrawn their decision to boycott work,” said Biswajit Raj, president, JDA.

As many as 6,401 resident doctors — 5,767 at government medical colleges and 634 of GMERS — will benefit from this increase. The government said it will have to bear an additional burden of Rs 100 crore because of the increase.

Although the stipend varies for different years of medical education, on average, the monthly stipend for a resident doctor is about Rs 60,000. There will be a 40% increase to this amount.

Deputy chief minister and state finance minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the health portfolio, ratified the decision from hospital, where he is being treated for Covid-19.

The stipend of resident doctors is revised every three years and Nitin Patel held meetings with representatives of the JDA, which had written to the government, asking for a revision of stipend. Patel said the stipend of doctors of medical, dental, homoeopathy, ayurveda and physiotherapy will increase. The increased stipend will be applicable from April 1.