BENGALURU: In an incentive for doctors on Covid duty, the government this year issued an order to give them 'risk allowance'.
However, the Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) stated that none of the doctors have as yet got risk allowance, in spite of working with Covid patients since the pandemic started.
The government had announced Rs 10,000 risk allowance for doctors. But doctors from KARD Association stated that the order was probably made only for show, and to squeeze more work from resident doctors.
“The government has not paid a single penny of risk allowance. It's been more than six months since the order was issued. Multiple attempts were made to approach the authorities, but in vain. The authorities ended up playing the blame game, and turning resident doctors into scapegoats,” said the KARD press release.
Doctors from the association demanded immediate release of funds for Covid risk allowance for all resident doctors who battled through the pandemic. They pointed out that Karnataka's fee structure is one of the highest in the country, and demanded that it be reduced.
“We pay Rs 1,19,470, which is one of the highest in government medical colleges in India. We get a meagre stipend of Rs 45,000, one of the lowest among all colleges in India,” said a resident doctor from a government medical college.