The Delhi doctors’ shocking rejection to the 7th pay commission
The Federation of Resident Doctors association (FORDA) has taken up the decision of making a press conference on opposing the decisions and recommendations of the 7th pay commission. The primary cause of such opposition is the reduction in NPA from 25% to 20% and also removing it from the HRA of doctors. The implications of 7th pay commission shall be definitely long term since according to the recommendations, for the next t10 years the remuneration of Doctors’ shall be down. In the present economic scenario of rising prices, this recommendation can be troublesome for every individual doctor.
Growing discrepancy
According to the reports and statements made by doctors of FORDA, we should know that this is going to be a major blow on the retention of good doctors within the government sector. At present there is already a huge exodus of doctors who are skilled and experienced to be appointed in the government sector. But if the present pay commission is accepted, it shall definitely become a hindrance for the doctors who are willing to join the government hospitals. There has been a growing discrepancy within the remuneration of the doctors’ in the government and private sectors.
A short comparison
If we make a comparison in this scenario, the monthly pay of an assistant professor in Delhi Government Medical colleague starts with Rs 85000 per month, while the salary of a junior consultant in a private Hospital of Delhi is Rs 2-2.5 lakh per month. And it cannot be denied that this pay commission is going to increase the discrepancy to a greater extent. This pay commission has been discriminating for the doctors. The pay commission reports have been strongly rejected by the doctors stating that the reports and recommendations are extremely discriminatory without any visionary approach. This is also presumed to decrease the quality of services and enhance the administrative difficulties.
Problem in retention
The basic pay and NPA have been previously merged together during the calculation of the HRA, but now, this will be omitted and the House rental Allowance (HRA) shall be calculated along with only the basic pay. The demand of doctors for increasing the NPA has been present from a very long time and with these recommendations of 7th pay commission, it cannot be denied that well qualified doctors shall be more prone towards joining private hospitals instead of the government hospitals.