Private specialist doctors now have the option of working as “doctors on call” in government hospitals besides their private practice.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday, Health Minister U.T. Khader said private doctors with postgraduate qualification could work in government hospitals for two days in a week. This measure is being taken to fight shortage of specialist doctors in government hospitals.
The government will give them an honorarium of Rs. 10,000 a month. They will also get consultation fee from the government on the basis of the number of patients they have attended to.
For example, obstetricians and paediatricians will get Rs. 2,000 per delivery, he said. However, the rider is that they should be available on call to attend to patients.
In addition, those with postgraduate medical qualifications can serve fulltime at the government hospitals on contract basis with an honorarium of Rs. 1 lakh a month. These doctors will be get honorarium of Rs. 1.25 lakh a month if they work in the backward region of Hyderabad Karnataka, the Minister said. Further, those with MBBS qualification can work on contract basis at government hospitals for an honorarium of Rs. 40,000 a month. They will be absorbed into regular government service after three years, he said.
Rural service
He said efforts were being made to vacate the stay issued by the Karnataka High Court on implementation of the compulsory rural service norm for medical students.
However, the court had relaxed the conditions associated with the stay order to allow those who volunteer to undergo rural service to do so, he said.
Accordingly, the MBBS, diploma and postgraduate medical students, who volunteer for rural service, can contact the Health and Family Welfare Commissioner in Bengaluru (080-22879336) to enrol themselves for serving in government hospitals. They will get an honorarium of Rs. 40,000 (MBBS) and Rs. 43,200 (PG qualification), he said. Pointing out that about 3,000 students get medical degrees every year from the State, he hoped that the rural medical service would get a boost if all of them underwent the mandated three-year rural service.
