Bengal Grants Hike for Docs in State Hospitals

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a salary hike for doctors employed with state-run hospitals, withdrew the suspension of six junior medics found guilty of alleged negligence following the death of a woman at a Midnapore hospital, and relaxed rules for private practice by government doctors.

- HT Correspondent

KOLKATA:

The announcements were seen as the chief minister's effort to placate the medical fraternity, which has been at loggerheads with the TMC government over the last six months, especially after the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the state-run RG Kar medical college and hospital in Kolkata on August 9 last year.

"The salaries of interns, house staffs, post-graduate trainees and post-doctoral trainees are being raised by ₹10,000 and that of senior resident doctors by ₹15,000," Banerjee, who is also the state's health minister, said.

She was speaking at a special gathering of senior and junior doctors and medical students in Kolkata, the first such meeting she addressed since state-wide protests by the medical fraternity following the RG Kar case.