Mangaluru, July 25: A letter was sent to the centre already in November 2014, requesting to hike the salaries and to make permanent the jobs of doctors who were appointed under the National Rural Health Mission Project (NRHM). But there are no provisions to make the doctors permanent and only 5% of salary hike can be done. Hence they need to be reappointed, a reply from the centre stated. As per it, a report will be collected from all the district health officers and later these doctors will be reappointed. Later a reappointment proposal will be sent to the centre, informed Health Minister U T Khader.
Minister U T Khader addressed a press meet at Circuit House in the city and said, as per NRHM, it is informed that, if a fresh selection procedure is done and doctors are appointed, their salaries can be fixed to Rs 25,000. In this view, the state government is thinking over it, he informed.
Currently 650 doctors are serving under the NRHM. During the fresh selection procedure, preference will be given to the doctors who had served earlier, said Khader.
From the past 9 years, 67 Ayush doctors had worked instead of MBBS doctors, during the appointment of MBBS doctors, alternate arrangements will be made for the Ayush doctors, informed minister Khader.
Minister Khader informed that this time, the central government has cut-off 125 crores of grant to the Karnataka State Health Department.
Warning to Doctors:
Measures will be taken to retain the job of Ayush doctors by opening a separate Ayush treatment unit. It is not fair to protest even though the government has come forward to help the doctors, he said. If the Ayush doctors fail to withdraw their protest, they will be removed and other doctors will be appointed, Khader warned.
Doctors appointment:
For the appointment of doctors, Karnataka Public Service Commission has invited applications for the selection examinations in which there are provisions for the appointment of 381 MBBS, 963 post-graduate doctors, and 87 dentists, informed Minister Khader.
Request for co-operation: Responding to the untoward incidents taking place at Ullal vicinity, the minister said, people should co-operate with the police to trace the anti-social elements. It is not fair to pass allegations against one another, advised the minister to both the communities.
