Ballari administration is offering ₹4 lakh per month for physicians and anaesthetists, While MBBS doctors get ₹1 lakh per month. Due to the lack of medical professionals, especially specialists, to work in COVID-19 hospitals in rural areas, the administration has been forced to pay huge salaries.
“About a week ago, we published a notice and an advertisement in many newspapers offering a salary of 2.5 lakh to doctors, pulmonologists, and anaesthetists. But no one was interested. As a result, we had to change our pay packages,” Said Ballari Deputy Commissioner Pavan Kumar Malapati
The administration expects to hire 20 physicians/pulmonologists, 15 anaesthetists, and 30 MBBS doctors on a temporary basis who will be working at the 1000 bed temporary hospital for 11 months.
In the face of an increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, Ballari Deputy Commissioner Pavan Kumar Malapati said the administration was under the pressure to use the newly constructed hospital.
“The salaries offered by the Ballari district administration are far higher than the market prices. Salaries in private hospitals for specialists range from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh in normal circumstances. During the pandemic, the salaries for the specialists have gone up to ₹3 lakh at the most. The reluctance on the doctors to work in COVID-19 facilities is the reason for rising salaries,” said Vikram Siddareddy, Chairman and Managing Director of United Hospital, Kalaburagi.
