Latest news with #S.PerumalPillai
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Government doctors to walk from Salem to Chennai demanding an increase in pay
: To draw the attention of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to their demands, the Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC) has decided to organise a march from Salem to Chennai on June 11. One of the long-pending demands of government doctors in the State is the grant of pay band – 4 at 12 years of service as per the Government Order (G.O.) 354. President of the LCC S. Perumal Pillai, in a statement said, government doctors were not calling for salary hike, but were fighting for the implementation of the existing G.O. They are requesting the government to provide the fourth payscale — given after 20 years of service — at the beginning of the 13th year. Pay disparity The Central and State government doctors join service at the same basic salary. Citing the pay disparities thereon, LCC said that instead of the monthly salary of ₹1,23,000 that a Central government doctor gets for 13 years, a State government doctor receives ₹86,000 as basic salary. From 2017, they have been insisting that the prospective clause of the G.O. 354 be implemented, and a basic salary of ₹1,23,000 be given to State government doctors from the 13th year onward. 'Appoint more doctors' The organisation said the government, which is interested in opening new medical colleges and hospitals, has not shown interest in appointing an adequate number of doctors, nurses, and medical staff. Depending on the number of patients, more doctors and nurses should be appointed in government hospitals, it said. It also demanded that a government job be given and relief granted to the wife of Vivekanandan, a government doctor who died during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the march planned from Mettur in Salem, the doctors will meet people and elaborate their demands. They will also highlight the need to strengthen the structure of the Public Health Department. The members of the LCC have requested the Chief Minister to immediately intervene and fulfil the doctors' demands.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
T.N. doctors flag staffing, infrastructure gaps at new government hospitals
The Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC) has flagged critical shortages and operational gaps in key healthcare facilities in Tamil Nadu, warning that the absence of timely intervention could erode public trust in the State's healthcare infrastructure. LCC president S. Perumal Pillai, in a detailed appeal, raised concerns about serious understaffing and the lack of essential medical equipment at the National Center for Ageing in Guindy, which was inaugurated over 16 months ago. Of the 24 sanctioned posts in the geriatrics department, only 15 doctors are on duty. The hospital, which shows 56 nurses on its roster, actually functions with only 30 regular staff, many of whom are either on deputation from other government hospitals or working under temporary contracts. While the facility houses four fully constructed operation theatres, no surgeries have been performed in key departments such as ENT, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and urology due to the absence of surgical equipment and anaesthesia services. Dental chairs too remain uninstalled, leaving that unit non-functional. The situation in Salem's Ammapettai Government Hospital is equally troubling, the LCC pointed out. Built at a cost of ₹42 crore, the 100-bed facility was launched to expand suburban healthcare access. However, no permanent doctors have been appointed so far, prompting the State to rely entirely on deputations from the Salem Government Medical College. Eight doctors and several nurses now divide their time between the institutions, putting pressure on both facilities. Surgeries and deliveries are being carried out with existing staff, but the LCC contended that long-term sustainability is uncertain without formal appointments. In Tirunelveli, the Ramasamy Memorial Government Hospital at Kandiapperi, constructed with Japanese aid at a total cost of ₹39 crore, faces a similar operational strain. Though outpatient footfall remains high, inpatient admissions are low due to public hesitation stemming from the lack of dedicated medical personnel. Currently, 25 doctors and 45 nurses are rotated in from Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, leaving both institutions overburdened and raising concerns about the quality and consistency of care. The LCC has linked these systemic issues to broader concerns over government policy. While acknowledging the administration's efforts to expand healthcare access, the committee pointed to the absence of proper staffing, delayed salary payments, and the lack of permanent recruitment as undermining the intent behind these projects. With a protest march from Mettur to Chennai slated to begin on June 11, the LCC has demanded the immediate appointment of doctors and support staff in all these hospitals, adequate provision of essential medical equipment, and implementation of pay band four for government doctors within 12 years, as per Government Order 354.
