Tanda Medical College Teachers Decry Rs 33,650 Salary for Neurosurgeon with 12 years' experience
Kangra: The Teachers Association of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, in Kangra district, has voiced strong dissatisfaction over the appointment of a specialist with 12 years of professional experience as a “Job Trainee Medical Officer” at a monthly remuneration of Rs. 33,650.
The association criticised the existing pay structure and service conditions for newly recruited Medical Officers and teaching faculty, including specialists and super-specialists, in Himachal Pradesh, describing the policy as unreasonable, discouraging, and harmful to the state’s public health system.
In a press statement issued on Monday, association president Dr Vivek Sood said that the issue surfaced following the recent appointment of a super-specialist in the Neurosurgery Department at the Atal Institute of Medical Super-Specialities at Chamiyana in Shimla, as a “Job Trainee Medical Officer” on a monthly salary of Rs 33,650, despite holding an MCh in Neurosurgery.
Dr Sood stated that the doctor’s net monthly earnings had been fixed at Rs. 33,650, which is substantially lower than the approximately Rs. 1.30 lakh per month he received as a stipend during his MCh training, reports The Daily. The association described the sharp difference in pay as irrational and inconsistent with fundamental norms of professional growth and career advancement. “A salary of Rs 33,650 after a decade or more of rigorous training, round-the-clock duties and high medico-legal risk is nothing short of demoralising,” the association said, adding that in a private settings a super-specialist with qualifications and experience like him could secure a job worth lakhs of rupees per month easily.
According to The Tribune, the association pointed out that referring to fully qualified super-specialists as trainee medical officers is professionally inappropriate. This act also raises a question about their competence, dignity, and experience. The doctors’ association has also stated that to achieve the specialization, one needs to undergo nearly 12 years of intensive medical education and training, including five-and-a-half years of MBBS, three years of MS (Surgery), and three years of MCh super-specialisation. “Labelling a fully trained super-specialist as a job trainee is not only insulting but also reflects a deeply flawed administrative approach towards highly skilled medical professionals,” the association stated in a press release.
The doctor's body further added that human resource is an essential part of healthcare service, and devaluing them is undermining a necessary requisite of quality healthcare. “Fair remuneration, professional dignity, and transparent service conditions are essential for building a sustainable and effective health system,” it said. Dr Sood cautioned that persisting with such backward employment terms could have far-reaching repercussions, compelling talented young doctors to seek private sector jobs or opportunities outside the state and worsening the scarcity of teaching staff in government medical colleges. He added that this trend would eventually erode standards of medical training as well as healthcare services in Himachal Pradesh.
