HYDERABAD: Most of the people believe that the doctors are opposing the rural stint as they get paid lucrative salaries by private hospitals. For serving in rural areas on temporary basis, the post graduates(PG) are paid Rs 30,000 stipend per month by the government. While private hospitals pay anywhere double the amount.
However, chairperson of TJUDA, Dr Kranthi Chaitanya opines, if it is about comfort, then rural service is more alluring as the doctors have to work for only seven hours a day at government hospitals. While they have to slug out for more than 20 hours at private hospitals.
Representatives of TJUDA, opined that the concept of temporary rural postings for PGs do not make sense in Telangana as there are sufficient number of graduates who are ready to fill the vacant posts on permanent basis. Citing reason for the shortage of doctors in government hospitals, a former JUDA member Dr Mohammed Imran said, the last time government conducted a recruitment was in 2009.
Delayed counselling in allotment of temporary rural postings results in loss of pay. And being post graduate students, junior doctors said it means a lot to them.
‘’Our exams ended on July 20 and the notification for the counselling was announced on September 30. The two and half month wait is accounted under one year rural service. However, we do not get paid for the two and half months. Besides, monthly stipend is not paid on time,’’ said Dr Kranthi.
However, when asked if they are ready to serve on temporary basis if the government takes stringent measures in conducting counselling on time and pays stipend regularly, Dr Kranthi reiterated they want to be posted on permanent basis.
The JUDA members said the system of filling the vacant specialist posts in tertiary hospitals with junior doctors will deprive them of permanent jobs. ‘’If the temporary rural service for PG students continues, we do not see the posts to be filled on permanent basis in near future,’’ said Dr G Srinivas, president of Junior Doctors’ Association (JUDA), Osmania Unit.
“We are not against rural service. If the government decides to fill the posts on permanent basis, we are ready to serve regardless of the location, be it tribal areas,’’ Dr Kranthi said.
Better pay package and job security are the two primary reasons for JUDAs to demand permanent postings.