Medicos protest over unpaid allowance

Medicos protest over unpaid allowance

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:22.07.2021 

Members of the Karnataka Resident Doctors’ Association (KRDA) sported black armbands at workplaces to protest non-payment of Covid-19 risk allowances. The protest has been going on since Monday.

During the second wave, the government had passed an order providing a sum of Rs 10,000 per month as Covid risk allowance. The order kicked in from April.

Dr Namratha C, president, KRDA, said when they ask medical colleges authorities, they pass the buck to the government saying they have no funds to pay. “It’s more than three months since the order was passed,” Dr Namratha said. “While the government says colleges have to pay the allowance from their stipend fund, colleges say it is the government’s responsibility.”

According to the state government’s order dated May 5, a total 5,427 medicos working in government medical colleges are eligible for the allowance. This includes 327 junior residents, 910 senior residents, 2307 post-graduates and 1730 interns.

Deans of government medical colleges TOI spoke to, said the government has not yet released funds, despite assurances. “This issue has been discussed with the finance department too. If we don’t pay these incentives for the medicos, we may not have their support in managing the third wave,” said a dean.

When contacted, TK Anil Kumar, principal secretary, medical education, said the matter will be looked into. “Medicos will get their Covid allowance from April onwards,” he said.