TNGDA urges Govt to set up Spl committee

Madurai, Jan 09 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association (TNGDA) today appealed to the state government to constitute a 'Special Committee' to set right the anomalies in wages of government doctors.

In a statement here, TNGDA secretary K Senthil said doctors working in government institutions were paid less, compared to other states like Karnataka.

For an entry-level medical professional designated as Tutor, the gross salary was around Rs 16,000 in Tamil Nadu, whereas in Mysore Medical College it was more than Rs 30,000. The anomaly was more in higher grades such as Assistant Professors, Readers and Professors, Dr Senthil pointed out.

Comparing the pay structure for Government and aided Arts and Science College teachers, who were paid as per University Grants Commission (UGC) scales, with that of Doctors' pay, it was pathetically low, he noted.

Already the doctors were overburdened as they work in Primary Health Centres and Government Hospitals for 54 hours to 70 hours a week, he claimed.

Dr Senthil said the state government should pay wages to the doctors on par with their peers working in Central Government institutitions as it was due to hard work of medical professionals that the State was in top position in healthcare programmes.

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