25 percent salary hike likely for Doctors under contract with Maharashtra BMC

Mumbai: Doctors and allied professionals employed under the Brinhanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on a contract basis are likely to get a decent salary increment.

While consultant doctors are likely to get a 25% salary hike, cadres like physiotherapists are expected to get an increment by around 60%. Around 400 doctors are likely to benefit from this proposed salary hike, adds TOI.

As a result of this increment, the starting salary range for assistant medical officers will increase from Rs 72,000 to Rs 90,000. The amount of salary might get increased to Rs 1,00,000 in case the concerned doctor has a Postgraduate medical qualification.

In respect of the cadres like physiotherapists, the salary hike will result in an increase of salary from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000. Further, the salary hike is also expected to standardize salaries across the hospitals.

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As per the latest media report by The Times of India, the proposal outlining the increment has been submitted to Commissioner I S Chahal for final approval. The Daily adds that the hike is specifically intended for the doctors employed on a contractual basis and it does not apply to the permanent staff members. The permanent staff has a fixed salary scale governed by the University Grants Commission.

Referring to the issue, the Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Sudhakar Shinde told the Daily, "We often lose valuable doctors to private hospitals that offer more lucrative compensation and benefits."

TOI adds that the revision in the salary package was also required after the poor response to the recent recruitment drive by the BMC. Around 400 doctors, who will get the benefit of this salary revision, include contractual doctors, specialist doctors, assistant medical officers, occupational and physiotherapists, etc.

NMC expects that the salary hike for contractual doctors will alleviate the vacancy crisis in civic hospitals. At present, around 30% of positions across the ranks of professors, associate professors, and lecturers are lying vacant. Often, as a result of irregular recruitment drives, these posts are filled with contractual staff. 

However, several faculty members pointed out the reluctance of yound doctors to join the BMC services as they are concerned about the job security rather than the salary.

Commenting on the matter, a department head of Sion Hospital told TOI, "Nobody wants to join as a consultant and work on an 11-month contract basis. Everyone desires the stability of a permanent job with benefits. If they lack stability, they will naturally gravitate towards private hospitals."

In this regard, another senior faculty member highlighted the fact that the recruitment for teaching positions often get hindered by quotas, resulting in delays in sending files to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.

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