An approval from the Department of Finance has been sought for hiring the service of orthopaedics, physicians and anaesthetists at government hospitals on a contract basis, said Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader.
At present, the department is hiring gynaecologists and paediatricians on a contract basis. An amount of Rs. 1 lakh is being paid as monthly remuneration to the doctors. Those in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region are getting Rs. 1.25 lakh. As many posts of orthopaedics, physicians and anaesthetists are vacant, the government has planned to fill them on contract basis, he said on Saturday.
Mr. Khader said that the vacant posts would be filled in phases. The applications were invited through Karnataka Public Service Commission to fill vacant posts of 983 specialist doctors and 331 general doctors in the year 2015. Of these, 324 and 243 posts were filled respectively. The department would soon commence another round of recruitment for which KPSC would issue a notification soon, he said.
The State government has given its approval to fill the vacant posts keeping in mind the demand for the next three years including the posts that would be created owing to establishment of new hospitals and retirement of existing doctors. At present, an amount of Rs. 85,000 as salary has been fixed at the entry level for specialist doctors who have pursued post graduation and Rs. 60,000 for general doctors. He said that lucrative salaries have been fixed to attract the best doctors to serve in the government sector.
Mr. Khader said that in the districts where there is acute shortage of doctors, permission would be given to the Deputy Commissioner and District Health Officers to hire general doctors on a contract basis. An amount of Rs. 42,000 would be paid to these doctors as monthly salary and their service would be regularised after a period of three years, he added.
