BHUBANESWAR: AYUSH doctors engaged in Covid management have expressed resentment over the State government’s indifferent attitude in announcing incentives for them. They alleged that the Health and Family Welfare department has approved one-third of the incentive being paid to MBBS doctors engaged in the same work creating a difference among the doctors from different disciplines.
While allopathy doctors have been getting an incentive of Rs 1,000 per day apart from their regular monthly remuneration for Covid management since April last year, the State government has recently approved only Rs 375 per day for Homeopathy and Ayurveda interns, who were deployed as part of rapid response teams (RRTs) since May 1.
The incentive is less than that of a staff nurse, radiographer and multi-purpose health workers, who have been getting Rs 612, Rs 552 and Rs 462 per day respectively.
The government has also clarified that the incentive will not be applicable for the contact tracing teams as they are not in direct touch with confirmed Covid positive cases.
The Odisha Government Ayurvedic Physicians’ Association said as the AYUSH doctors have been doing the duty of an MBBS doctor and constitute a major workforce during the Covid times, they are not being paid on par with them.
“AYUSH doctors in all other states are treated as Class I employees,” general secretary Dr Chittaranjan Behera said. The association demanded equal pay for equal work and cadre restructuring at the earliest.