Demanding better pay scales and withdrawal of ban on Voluntary Retirement Scheme, the members of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) would call for a one day fast as a token protest next month. The Association has decided to hold the fast in the state capital on April 25.

According to the office-bearers, the token protest will be prior to a statewide agitation by the Association if its demands are not met.

By explaining the mode of agitation, Dr S. Kanagasabhapathy, state president of TNGDA, said, "About 150 government doctors will take part in the fast seeking the intervention of state Chief Minister."

Dr Senthil, secretary of TNGDA, told Pharmabiz, that the association members across the State started sending appeals to the Chief Minister and to the health minister for their immediate intervention so that they could withdraw the planned agitation.

In the telegrams, the doctors demanded their pay structure should be revised on par with the pay scale of the doctors of the Central government or at least on par with the other States. Now all the government doctors in the state are being paid less when compared with their counterparts in other states and central government medical colleges, the office bearers said.

They complained that the professors in the medical colleges are also being paid less when compared with the professors of Arts and Engineering colleges in the State. Recently the TNGDA had requested the state government to constitute a special committee to set right the anomalies in wages of government doctors.

Dr Senthil said, "While the entry level salary of the government doctors in Tamil Nadu is Rs 8,000, Karnataka has fixed the salary for entry-level doctors at Rs 14,000. In Andhra, entry level salary is Rs 11715. Even the Task Force report of the National Rural Health Mission insists that the pay scale of doctors should be on par with Class 1 officers in the state."

He explained that on first promotion the Doctors of Andhra Pradesh gets a sum of Rs 15200 each as salary, while in Tamil Nadu the amount is only Rs 9100.

On second promotion, the government of Karnataka gives rupees 18150 every month to a Doctor but the Government of Tamil Nadu pays only Rs 10, 000 as salary.

The doctors in govt. hospitals and PHCs in Tamil Nadu work for 54 hours to 70 hours a week, against the duty timings of 36 to 44 hours in other countries.

Doctors said that the job of teachers in medical colleges is unique as they take additional responsibilities unlike teachers in engineering or arts colleges. The teachers are involved in specialist treatment of patients apart from teaching students. These teachers are given just Rs 100 p.m. extra as teaching allowance. Now, they demand, this allowance should be hiked to 40 per cent of the basic pay.

Apart from this, a sum as academic allowance should also be given to all the teachers of the medical colleges. This allowance should depend on the rarity of the specialty. It should also be 40 per cent of the basic pay for those who teach undergraduates. Additional 20 per cent should be given to those who teach post -graduates, the doctors demanded.