Sindh cabinet enhances remuneration of doctors by incurring Rs5 bn additional annual expenditures.

KARACHI -- The Sindh Cabinet taking a difficult but historic decision has decided to bring the remuneration of the doctors of Sindh government at par with the doctors of the Punjab at an annual cost Rs5.6 billion. However, the cabinet also decided that there would be appropriate legislation under which enhancement of remuneration of doctors, teachers and other professionals with their performance and achievements. The cabinet meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, all provincial ministers, advisors to chief minister, special assistants, Advocate General Sindh and other concerned officers. The health department presented an agenda item in the cabinet to provide existing remuneration being paid to the doctors of the Sindh government (BPS-17 to BPS-20), house job officers, and postgraduate students in line with existing remuneration of the government of Punjab.

The cabinet discussed the matter thoroughly and most of the cabinet members were of the view that the enhancement of salary package must be based on performance, punctuality and readiness to serve in hard areas wherever they services are required. The chief minister intervened and said that the decision to revise the remuneration of the doctors was quite difficult for him keeping in view the financial impact but 'we want to meet this demand of the doctors on the hope that they would serve to their best abilities,' he said. Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Secretary health briefed the cabinet about the proposal under which Rs10, 000 per month would be given to postgraduate candidates in addition to their exiting remuneration. Rs15, 000 per month would also be added in the exiting stipend.

The health department would also revise the remuneration of all serving doctors from grade B-17 to grade B-20 and will bring them the remuneration at par with the remuneration of doctor serving in the Punjab, if the cabinet approves. The cabinet approved the proposal under which monthly special health allowance of Rs10,000 to be given to doctors of Grade BPS-17 and grade 18 and Rs5,000 to the doctors of grade BPS-19 and 20.

The health professional allowance has been enhanced from Rs23, 851 to Rs28, 472 for grade 17, from Rs15, 956 to Rs19, 175 for grade BPS-18, from Rs15, 935 to Rs19, 100 for grade BPS-19 and from Rs15, 961 to Rs19, 192 for grade PBS-20 doctors. Every doctor would get two...