Latest govt move finally brings salaries of medical teachers at par with their students’ pay

In its order on August 31, the state government had increased the stipend of degree medical residents to Rs 1,00,800 in the first year, Rs 1,02,480 in the second year, Rs 1,05,000 in the third year, and Rs 1,10,880 for the fourth year (senior residents as well as clinical assistants). This was done with retrospective effect from April 1.

Further, for medical residents in Super Specialist Services, revised stipend announced was Rs 1,20,960 in the first year, Rs 1,26,000 in the second year and Rs 1,34,400 in the third year. This meant that the Health Department was paying a higher stipend to medical students than it was paying in salaries to their teachers.

The medical teachers — Assistant Professors Class-1 — were receiving just Rs 89,400, which was lesser than even first-year medical residents.

Even as resident doctors at BJ Medical College had gone on a strike, demanding even higher stipends, they were cajoled into accepting the state government’s decision after a meeting with CM Bhupendra Patel.

It is only now, with this latest order, that the state government resolved this issue, describing it as a “gift for doctors” and “a step taken in the interest of healthcare” in Gujarat.

The state government on Wednesday increased the pay of Professor Class-I from Rs 1,84,000 to Rs 2,50,000. For Associate Professor Class-I, the pay has been increased from Rs 1,67,500 to Rs 2,20,000. The pay for Assistant Professor Class-I has been increased from Rs 89,400 to Rs 1,38,000 and that of Tutor Class-II has been increased from Rs 69,300 to Rs 1,05,000.

Notably, while the salaries of the contractual medical teachers is taxable, the stipend of resident doctors is completely tax free.