mid-day impact: Booster dose for Panvel, PMC increases monthly salary of doctors hired for COVID-19 management

The Urban Health Care Centre at Kalamboli that has been converted to a dedicated COVID facility. File pic

A day after mid-day, in its front-page report, highlighted a shortage of trained and experienced doctors in the PMC amid a surge in cases, the civic body decided to increase the starting salary to Rs 50,000 from Rs 30,000. Medical professionals were reluctant to join the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) due to the extremely low pay package. They had said that other corporations offer almost double the salary at Rs 60,000.

The PMC has also outsourced their dedicated COVID Centre in Kalamboli, which is yet to be opened, to a private agency to man and run it, starting today.

In a report, titled ‘Double blow for Panvel' dated April 5, mid-day had mentioned about the poor preparations of the PMC amid the second wave, and the shortage of trained doctors despite advertisements.

The PMC was initially offering a monthly salary of Rs 30,000 to BHMS/BAMS doctors and Rs 60,000-Rs 75,000 to postgraduate experienced medical professionals. PMC Commissioner Sudhakar Deshmukh has now increased the salary of BHMS/BAMS doctors, to be hired to treat COVID-19 patients, to Rs 50,000.

Medics want better pay

A doctor, who had worked with the PMC during the first wave, said, "With the hike in salary, few doctors might come to work for the PMC, provided it treats them professionally and assures them of a long-term opportunity. Because, most nurses and BHMS/BAMS doctors from Kolhapur, Beed and Osmanabad go to the NMMC, TMC, BMC, etc, in search of a good pay package and a long-term job security."

Several doctors, who the PMC hired during the first wave and then let go in November, went to work with other corporations that were offering a much better pay and job security.

Meanwhile, Raigad district Guardian Minister Aditi Tatkare has assured to hold a meeting with PMC chief and Raigad collector Nidhi Choudhary to bring in more help by getting private hospitals, too, to handle the surge in cases. Tatkare told mid-day that the fire compliance clearance for the Kalamboli COVID-19 centre has now been obtained.

Dr Anand Gosavi, medical officer health, PMC said, "Our Kalamboli dedicated COVID centre has been outsourced to Magicdil (1 Rupee Clinic) and will be operational from April 7. A specialised team of doctors have already been recruited through the National Urban Health Mission. We have got six specialised doctors and three MBBS doctors. Also, 10 BHMS doctors are being hired to handle COVID-19 cases."

No CT/MRI setup at Kalamboli centre

Asked about CT/MRI facilities at the Kalamboli centre, Dr Gosavi said, "The centre doesn't have those but Magicdil has a team of medical experts and would tie up with CT/MRI centres in the nearby areas."

The doctor, who had worked with the PMC earlier, said the existing arrangement was still not enough. "With every passing day, the number of cases will increase and nearly two per cent of them would require ICU admission, and some ventilator. The current infrastructure of the 60-bed centre at Uran and a 72-bed centre at Kalamboli, with 12 ICU and 60 oxygen beds, is too small for the entire PMC."

A doctor from Kharghar handling COVID-19 cases said, "We need a jumbo centre with an ICU facility that can cater to a large number of patients at the earliest. Open grounds, Central Park Kharghar or PMC or CIDCO buildings could be used for that." Meanwhile, Tatkare said she will speak to "doctors to understand the ground situation and get clarity on their grievances and try to resolve them at my level."

Rs 50,000
Monthly salary PMC is now offering post hike of Rs 20,000