A delegation of the Punjab Civil Medical Service- Special Doctor's Association led by its state president Kashmir Singh Sohal met health minister Surjit Kumar Jiani in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
Sohal said, "Various problems faced by the PCMS doctors in the day to day working and the various anomalies in their pay structure were brought into the notice of health minister.
They told the minister that government was not considering them as specialists for giving them salary and other facilities, but they were forced to fulfil targets and benchmarks of specialist work.
Press secretary Jaswiner Singh said specialist doctors were particularly sore over denial of Higher Qualification Allowance (HQA) to them. 15% of the basic pay had been granted as higher education allowance to doctors from June 2012, who had acquired post graduation after 2001, he added.
"The doctors who did post graduation before this date, they were given six increments which have been merged either on placement or on revision of pay scales in 1996 and 2006. Now, they are getting pay equal to non-specialist doctors. Even the economical benefit equal to five annual increments (15%) granted to doctors who have completed their PG course after 23/5/2001 is not sufficient to attract and retain specialist doctors in government job," he said.
Health minister assured the association of looking into the problems of doctors at the earliest. He immediately directed all civil surgeons of the state that they should immediately redress the problems of doctors and other problems would be solved by the government very soon.
{{/usCountry}}Health minister assured the association of looking into the problems of doctors at the earliest. He immediately directed all civil surgeons of the state that they should immediately redress the problems of doctors and other problems would be solved by the government very soon.
{{/usCountry}}He also assured the delegation that salary of specialist doctors would be increased and the working conditions of doctors would be improved.