Gauhati High Court orders pay parity between Ayurvedic & Allopathic NHM doctors

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has directed the State Government that fixed-pay contractual Ayurvedic doctors, who are working across the State under the National Health Mission (NHM), Assam, should be paid salaries that are equal to that of their contractual allopathic counterparts under the NHM, Assam, with retrospective effect from December 2018.

The court issued this directive in response to a Writ Petition filed by the Ayurvedic Doctors' Association and two others.

The petitioners had contended that while the NHM has engaged both allopathic and Ayurvedic doctors on a contractual basis, the fixed pay given to the allopathic doctors is higher than that given to the Ayurvedic doctors. The allopathic doctors are being paid Rs 50,000/ per month each, while the Ayurvedic doctors are being paid Rs 30,500 per month each, with some increments.

The petitioners further submitted that the duties and job descriptions of both varieties of doctors were the same. They also mentioned that the Centre provides 85 per cent of the NHM's budget, while the State Government contributes 15 per cent.

The counsel for the Health Department and NHM submitted that the job responsibility of the allopathic and Ayurvedic doctors is not identical but different. He also submitted that the educational qualifications of the two categories of Medical Officers are different.

However, the court observed in its judgment that "The job description and responsibility for the post of Medical Officer (Ayurvedic) and Medical Officer (MBBS) in the NHM, Assam shows that the job description and responsibility are nearly the same…"

The court, therefore, directed that the Ayurvedic Medical Officers under the NHM, Assam be given a salary that is at par with the allopathic Medical Officers of the NHM with effect from the date of filing of the Writ Petition, i.e., December 18, 2018.

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