The Legal Coordination Committee for government doctors has appealed to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to issue a notification giving pay band IV to government doctors, thereby increasing their pay.
The committee wants the government to honour Ordinance 354 of the Health Department, which was issued by former Chief Minister Karunanidhi in 2009.
The committee further said that the State should rethink about opening new medical colleges as it had achieved more than the World Health Organisation’s target of one doctor for every 1,000 people. Currently, there is a doctor for 250 people, said S. Perumal Pillai, the committee president.
Instead of starting new medical colleges, the government should start speciality and super speciality departments, he said, adding that hospitals in districts and taluks should be upgraded to reduce toll due to serious conditions.
Dr. Pillai further said that despite protests and talks with Health Department officials and a fervent plea from an Assembly member, who is also a trained doctor, the government has not responded to the demands.
