On Wednesday, 507 doctors who are working on contract basis under the health and family welfare department of Karnataka are ready to put their resignations. The doctors decided to resign because after waiting for years, their services have still not been regularized.

In 2002, according to the Karnataka Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services Special Rules absorption of doctors who are appointed on contract was notified. As per the rules, after three years of service in rural areas, contract doctors should get regularized by the health department.

Dr Vinay Manjunath, a doctor at a Primary Health Centre in Chikkaballapura, who is also a member of the Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association said that post 2016, none of the contract doctors appointed were regularized, irrespective of any political party in power. The doctors want job security and also to be treated as permanent doctors in the department, who has an income of Rs 85,000 and enjoy the benefits of TA and DA, whereas the contract doctors earn Rs 45,000 per month.

The doctors have petitioned the Health Minister Sriramulu, CM BS Yediyurappa, Commissioner of Health Pankaj Kumar Pandey and local MLAs but have not received any assurance of being regularized.

Source: The New Indian Express