VIRUDHUNAGAR: Around 50 doctors, recruited during the peak of second Covid wave in government hospitals (GHs) and primary health centres (PHCs) in the district, submitted a petition claiming they have neither received their salary for the past four months nor the incentive announced by the government.
The doctors said they were recruited in May and the first week of June to work on contract basis for six months on a consolidated payment of Rs 60,000 per month.
Further, they added the current government announced incentives ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 for doctors, medical students, nurses and other staff who got involved with Covid patients directly and continuously for three months between April and June of 2021.
“Not only did we not hear about the incentive as of now, none of us has received salaries. When we asked the deputy director or our respective Chief Medical Officers (CMO), they say they have not received the funds,” they said.
Another doctor taken on contract, Dr Udhayaprakash, said the salaries for the months of June and July were given only in September.
“Though we knew that the contract was for six months, we were not informed about the termination or further action until November 30 when we received a letter on WhatsApp stating that we were terminated from December 1,” he said.
They have four demands: clear the pending salary; provide all of them with the promised incentive; provide extension of the contracts to those who ask for them; and provide incentive marks and priority in Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) exams. Collector J Meghanatha Reddy has received the petition.
When TNIE contacted Executive Secretary of District Health Society/Deputy Director of Health Services (i/c) Dr Kalusivalingam regarding the termination without clearing the salary, he said the payment will be cleared within a week after receiving funds.