Akhila Karnataka Ayurvedic Medical Association has urged the Union Government to enhance the honorarium being paid to the Ayurvedic doctors functioning in rural places under the National Rural Health Mission scheme from Rs.14, 000 per month to Rs.30, 000 per month.
Ayurvedic doctors led by Mysore MP Mr. Pratap Simha, MLC G.Madhusudan and working president of the Mysore unit of the Association Dr. Mahesh D. met the Union Minister for Health and Family Wefare Minister Dr. Harsha Vardhan on Friday apprised the plight of the doctors working for a ‘paltry honorarium’ and they said that the honorarium of Rs.14,000/- was not sufficient to lead a normal life as the cost of living had gone up considerably and prices of all essential commodities had been increased many folds since few years now.
The association said that over 603 doctors have been working since seven years under the scheme at different rural places in the state for the consolidated pay of Rs. 14, 000 per month and the Government had not provided any other benefits or perquisites or enhance their honorarium since seven years though the doctors have been rendering services round the clock to people by staying in villages It further said that the Ayurvedic doctors have been functioning at rural places where there were no MBBS doctors and it claimed that the Ayurvedic doctors have saved hundreds of lives over the last seven years.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Health Minister is stated to have assured the delegation that he would discuss the issue with the Health Secretary after returning to Delhi and then he would take a decision to enhance the honorarium of Ayurvedic doctors. The Minister, meanwhile agreed that Rs.14, 000 was not sufficient to lead a normal life even in rural places and he said that he would soon consider their demand to enhance their honorarium. The Minister is also believed to have asked Mr. Pratap Simha to follow it up at Delhi next week.