MANGALURU: A contractual doctor working at a Public Health Centre (PHC) in a remote village of Dakshina Kannada district has resigned after not receiving his salary for the past six months, citing severe financial distress.
In his resignation letter, Dr Kuldeep M.D., who was attached to the Kollamogru PHC, said the prolonged non-payment of salary had made it impossible for him to make ends meet.
Dr Kuldeep stated that more than half a dozen contractual doctors in the district have not been paid for the last six months due to a lack of budget under “Account Head 26”, through which their salaries are disbursed. He said he had written to District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Thimmayya four months ago regarding the issue and was assured the issue would be resolved, but no action followed.
After completing his MBBS, Dr Kuldeep joined the Kollamogru PHC two-and-a-half years ago. “For the first six months, my salary was credited on time. Later, delays of one to three months became routine, but I somehow managed. Now it has been six months without pay. I have exhausted all my savings. With no other option, I decided to resign,” said the young doctor.
The salary delay has severely impacted not just his livelihood but also that of his parents, who are dependent on him. His father, who is undergoing dialysis, has been particularly affected. “I have not received my salary since July. Even a delay of a month or two hits hard. Imagine the impact of not being paid for six months,” he said.
Following his resignation, the DHO reportedly tried to persuade him to withdraw it, assuring that the pending salary would be released. However, Dr Kuldeep declined. “I refused in the interest of my career. There is no guarantee this won’t happen again,” he said, adding that several doctors facing similar issues are reluctant to speak out, especially those who are married and have family responsibilities.
Kollamogru PHC caters to a population of over 10,000. Dr Kuldeep worked from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, earning a monthly salary of Rs 60,000. “There were no issues with the work. I was satisfied and felt good serving poor and needy patients. Salary is the only problem,” he said.
He also had to travel 80 km daily from Sullia to Kollamogru and, at times, was required to attend duty at a neighbouring PHC when its medical officer was absent.
Dr Kuldeep noted that salary delays of one to two months are common for contractual doctors, but the restriction on private practice makes prolonged non-payment especially difficult. He has now decided to focus on his future by pursuing an MD degree.
Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO Narwadi Vinayak Kharbari said salaries were delayed for only seven contractual doctors due to funds not being released under a specific account head. “A request has been made for the release of funds, and we hope the issue will be resolved soon,” he said.