Medical Specialists in Karnataka to now get hired on per day, per case basis

Bengaluru: Medical specialists in Karnataka will now be recruited on a per-day and per-case basis and their incentives will be calculated proportionally based on the days worked. This initiative by the Karnataka government has been introduced to tackle the severe shortage of specialists in the state.

According to the new alternative hiring model that will remain in effect till June 30, specialists in obstetrics, gynaecology, anaesthesiology, and surgery hired on a per-day basis will be required to work a minimum of two days per week. They will be paid as per Ayushman Bharat- Arogya Karnataka scheme rates. The current per-day rate is Rs 3,930.

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Therefore, the specialist will receive Rs 3,930 a day calculated by dividing the monthly salary of a contract specialist by the total number of working days in that month. This will allow them to work on days of their choice and receive a percentage of the total cost of duties or procedures they perform. The new contract will be valid for one year.

This initiative seeks to establish a more flexible hiring and working environment for specialists in diverse medical fields. It will address the shortage of specialists in hospitals in the state as the model is expected to attract more professionals to the public healthcare sector.

An order was issued in this regard on January 1 as reported by Deccan Herald mentioned, "Specialists hired on a per-day basis must work at least two days a week. Their pay will be calculated by dividing the monthly salary of a contract specialist by the number of days worked."

Specialists can be hired for a period of one year with the possibility of extending the hiring for an additional six months, subject to a review of the implementation process and challenges faced, the order adds. The ABArK scheme offers incentive-based pay for specialists in fields like OBG, anaesthesia and surgery.

On the other hand, the pay-per-case model enables specialists to focus on individual cases as needed. For radiologists, this approach involves hiring on a per-case basis, where they will be paid for services such as radiographs, CT scans, and MRIs. They can certify these scans either in person or via a teleradiology system.  

Further, the health commissioner will issue guidelines to ensure that unnecessary procedures are not conducted to increase incentives, as per a TNIE news report. Rates will be finalised via local tenders after ceiling rates are certified by the commissioner of the State Health Department.

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