Karnataka revises doctors' payscales

Karnataka government today decided to increase the salaries of its doctors by Rs4,500 to Rs8,000 and regularise the services of 569 others working on contract basis.
    
The doctors had last month threatened to resign en masse, if their demands for pay revision and regularisation of services of contract doctors were not met by September 28.
    
The state Cabinet that met here today approved a salary hike by Rs8,000 to doctors, who have completed post-graduation on their own expenses and Rs5,000 to PG diploma holders, Home Minister Dr VS Acharya told reporters here.
    
Service doctors, who completed PG under government seat quota would get Rs5,000 hike and PG Diploma holders Rs3,000.
    
Salaries of doctors serving in rural areas will go up by Rs6,000. Doctors who have moved over to urban areas after rural service will get Rs4,500 increase in salaries, he said.
   
"Being a doctor myself, I know the pay revision falls short of the doctors demands. But under the existing economic conditions, this is what the government can offer," he said.
   
The cabinet also decided to regularise the services of 569 doctors, including 107 dentists, now working on contract basis.