After paramedics, Gandhi hospital faculty threatens to go on strike from July 20

Hyderabad: Trouble is mounting for the Telangana government after Medical and Dental Faculty of Gandhi Hospital threatened to go on a strike from July 20 if the University Grants Commission (UGC) Pay Scale Revision (PRC) 2016 is not implemented.

The contractual nursing staff and the sanitation workers of Gandhi hospital are already on strike for the last six days.

Telangana Government Doctors Association, Gandhi Unit, has submitted a representation to the Director of Medical Education on July 15 saying that despite their services amid the COVID crisis, there is a delay in extending UGC PRC 2016.

The file is pending at the Chief Minister's office and the faculty are demanding implementation of UGC PRC 2016 with arrears at the earliest.

“Working conditions are extremely difficult these days. A good number of healthcare workers have been infected with COVID. When they are infected, their families are also at risk. To the outside world, we may look very affluent, but that is not true. The cost of living is steadily increasing. Prices of vegetables and petrol have considerably increased during the pandemic,” said a faculty member of Gandhi Medical College.

He said their salaries are very less compared to non-teaching doctors because they are under state government and their pay revisions happen every 5 years.

“When the Telangana state was formed, government employees received 40% of enhancement. We were not entitled because we have a UGC grade,” he said.

Another faculty member said no other institute in Telangana has done so much of work than Gandhi in the last four months

"Doctors at Gandhi performed 75 pregnancy surgeries, burn surgery on COVID positive cases, and conducted dialysis of the patients. But pay scales of other government medical colleges are higher than Gandhi Medical College," he said.

The faculty member said except for the basic pay, house rent allowance and dearness allowance, other allowances which UGC has allocated like risk allowance, transport or travel allowance, administrative allowance, internet, and newspaper allowance have not been granted. "We hope that the Chief Minister looks into this and clears our file as soon as possible”, he said.