Ayush doctors posted in a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the rural areas of many states said that the challenges they had to face were innumerable.
From the pay to the treatment and the posts that were offered, they are discriminated at every step. Service motive that drove him to take up the job.
“This is one post that was lying vacant since long as no one wanted to live in the remote place. When we all take an oath that we would serve the people all life long, it was only fair to stand by it,” One doctor said.
However, he said that he regretted the same as there existed discrimination at every level.
Alleging that there existed disparity, from the way they were paid, he said “Gradually, we realised that Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (Ayush) doctors were treated indifferently.”
Statistics obtained from the Department of Health and Family Welfare revealed that there were 610 Ayush doctors working in PHCs across the State, under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Karnataka.
As many as 30 of them have been appointed against the posts of MBBS Doctors. H C Ramesh, project director, NRHM said that allopathy doctors were paid anywhere between Rs 25,000 to 30,000 and Ayush doctors were given Rs 14,000 monthly.
No work-stations
“I also know of doctors who have not even been given work-stations while their allopathy counterparts work inside cabins of their own. Ayurvedic and homeopathy doctors are only given tables and minimal facilities. This difference has been there since long. Even as discussions regarding the matter happen, no conclusions are reached to,” he said.
Another Ayush doctor from a PHC in Mysore said that they were expected to work over time.
“We are asked to be ready to work all day long or asked to leave. When allopathy doctors refuse to turn up, we are asked to continue our routine shift and do additional ones. When we are told that medicines are out of stock, we are told that its is not worth an investment to make and asked to refer the patients elsewhere,” he said.
An official from the Department of Ayush who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that it was the case with most Ayush doctors serving in rural areas.
Discrimination
“While on one hand, they are pushed to places where no allopathy doctors are willing to go, they are also treated with disrespect,” the official said.
He added that in most cases, it was evident that Ayush doctors were asked to perform tasks that link workers do.
He also spoke about the disparity with respect to the pay.
“Ayush doctors are paid just half the amount that allopathy doctors are given but they are working more. They neither have job security. While they are appointed against the post of an MBBS doctor, they are told that they will have to vacate once a specialist is willing to work,” the official said.[Source]
Why GOI is turning a blind eye to this disparity in salary btw allopathic and ayush doctors. On one side they claim that they are promoting ayush and when it comes to reality they overlook it. It’s high time to correct this disparity and give a respect to the ancient system which was developed in our soil.
my self mo ayush odisha,we r getting only 11880/pm,but mbbs r getting 36000/pm.but we all ayush doing job /duty same as mbbs.we ayush manage ds phc,chc even of night emergency duties at chc .it is completely injustice to us.no body listen us.where grade 4employe getting 18000 -20000/pm.we ayush of odisha always tortured,ignored by all 4m top 2 bottom ,like 4m sweeper to phrmacist,mo, moi/c,bpm,bdm,cdmo,dpm ,md(nrhm).i dont know when we get justice.
This is all true… I m posted as MO ayush in phc in jharkhand..same picture here also… 🙁
I m completely agree to the above article. Abide this Ayush doctors are forced to give some percentage of their Performance Incentives to the MO I/C or BPM or BAM. The managerial staff having lower qualification getting high salary and incentives. result of which they underestimate the dignity of a Doctor. AYUSH doctors never get their financial benefits in-time. This is a matter of regret that AYUSH doctors are been appointed to meet the insufficiency of Allopathic Doctors but they are paid less than the salary of a health worker.
The naked truth,even a peon under Central Govt. is drawing more than a AYUSH doctor who posted under NRHM