Sindh Chief Minister on Saturday unfolded a Rs2.9 billion incentive package for doctors.This may ward off another agitation in the province by the young doctors.
The package announced by the Qaim Ali Shah at a news conference envisages a substantial increases in house job stipends and other allowances.
It also provides for a compensation of Rs1.5 million to the family of a doctor who falls victim to targeted killing or infectious diseases.
Monthly stipend for those doing house jobs has been proposed to be increased from Rs12,000 to Rs18,000 and for postgraduates has been proposed to be increased from Rs12,000 to Rs22,000. The non-practising allowance is also being increased from Rs400 to Rs4,000 a month for doctors in BS-17 and BS-18, and from Rs700 to Rs6,000 for those in BS-19 and BS-20.
He told that to encourage doctors to serve in rural areas a rural incentive allowance of Rs 6,000 for BS-17 and BS-18 and Rs8,000 for BS-19 doctors working outside the municipal limits of the district headquarters, has been proposed.
A ‘hard work’ allowance amounting to Rs6,000 per month for medical officers treating patients of infectious and contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, swine flu and bird flu is also part of the incentive package. Similarly, Rs6,000 a month allowance for medical
officers posted in casualties and trauma centers has also been proposed.
The CM said that if any other province further increased the stipend, the Sindh government would try to match it.
He also said that the provincial government under directives of the president, acted at once and formed a committee to consider problems being faced by the fraternity of doctors, particularly those serving as young doctor graduates.
He said the government also expected the doctors to go and serve in rural areas and urged them not to avoid such postings.
Responding to a question that a shortfall in the disbursement of the budgeted allocation for the health ministry, the minister responded that many schemes suffered due to a shortfall of Rs3 billion in the allocation of Rs6 billion. However, he said in the coming annual development programme the government had addressed this issue and hoped this would help in clearing the backlog also.
Provincial Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the proposals made in the package would be put before the cabinet and would be part of in his budget speech.
