The State government may go easy on the reported move to cut the wages of temporary doctors posted on COVID duty as part of the salary challenge initiative to collect funds for the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
Around 1,000-odd doctors from the 2014 MBBS batch in government medical colleges across the State who completed their course earlier this year were posted at various health centres for a three-month period. Close to 800 people had joined duty at a monthly salary of ₹42,000 salary following an order issued in April last week. Their salaries were delayed owing to technical issues.
When the temporary doctors got it, some of them found that the pay for six days had been cut in line with the government order on deducting contribution towards the CMDRF from employees earning over ₹20,000 a month. This was followed by an association representing these doctors declaring that they were not keen on continuing in service from September 10.
According to sources in the Health Minister’s office, interpretation of the above-mentioned order had led to some confusion. They claimed that all the temporary doctors had not faced a salary cut and those in districts such as Kozhikode had been spared. The Finance Department is also reported to be lenient towards these people.
A government order clearing the confusion was expected soon, they said. Also, the three-month service period of these doctors was supposed to end by mid-September, the sources added.
