Maharashtra govt announces pay hike for doctors on contract and bond amid the fight against COVID-19

Less than a fortnight after Mirror reported that salary cut had demoralised doctors, Maharashtra government on Friday announced a pay hike for doctors working on contracts and bonds.

The information was shared by Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray.

Thackeray said that the government also reversed the earlier order which had proposed a reduction in pay

"For doctors on contract and on bond, the Maharashtra State government has decided to not just enhance pay, but bring it at par. They are our COVID warriors and this was due," said Aaditya Thackeray.

"CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has announced a substantial hike in the honorarium of doctors serving their bonds to bring it at par with doctors working on a contract basis. This will further strengthen their resolve in the war against the virus," said the CMO.

Accordingly, the doctors serving their bonds in tribals areas will get Rs 75,000 instead of Rs 60,000, whereas, specialist doctors will be paid Rs 85,000 as compared to the earlier Rs 70,000.

The CMO also said that the MBBS Doctors in other areas will see their honorarium rise to Rs 70,000 from Rs 55,000, a specialist doctor will get an honorarium of Rs 80,000 instead of Rs 65,000.

Aaditya also thanked Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Health Minister Rajesh Tope and Minister Amit Deshmukh for reversing the earlier order proposing the pay cut.