TN revises minimum wages for Duty Medical Officers at private hospitals, draws criticism

Chennai: In a latest development, Duty Medical Officers (DMOs) working at private hospitals or nursing homes with a bed strength between 1 and 50 will now receive a revised minimum basic wage ranging from Rs 14,875 to Rs 16,057, depending on the hospital's location. For larger hospitals with over 1,000 beds, the revised minimum wage will range between Rs 15,634 and Rs 16,876. 

This revision comes after the Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department issued a government order categorising hospitals into different zones based on geography and bed strength to determine wage levels. According to the order, the new monthly wages of a duty medical officer will range between Rs 14,000 and Rs 16,000, based on the hospital’s location and size. 

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However, the revised pay structure has drawn criticism from medical associations, who say the wages are too low given the workload and responsibilities doctors carry, reports TNIE. 

Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary of the Government Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE), questioned the logic behind the rates. He asked, "How was it fair to set the minimum wage for a doctor at Rs 16,876 even in a hospital with over 1,000 beds?"