Over 28K healthcare workers get 30% hike in salaries: Ma Su

The State Health Department has increased salaries of government staff nurses and other healthcare workers since April, Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced recently.

As many as 28,982 healthcare workers have been given a 30% hike at the cost of Rs 89.82 crore added to the budget.

While 5,971 healthcare field workers had also requested an increment and Rs 32.78 crore had been allocated for the same, the orders will be issued in a month.

Government staff nurses, who were hired during the pandemic, have also received a hike. “The salaries of 4,848 nurses have increased from Rs 14,500 to Rs 18,000 from April,” said the minister on Sunday. “Over 2,400 healthcare workers under the National Health Mission have also been given an increment in their salaries from Rs 11,000 to Rs 14,000 since April this year.”

Subramanian added that as per their request, the contract healthcare workers will be given maternity leave for six months.

When asked about the facilities for attendants of in-patients at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, he said, “Sheds have been provided but not accommodation facilities, as it would be inconvenient for the patients and hospital authorities.”

He said that Chief Minister Stalin had launched a nutrition programme for one to six-year-olds in The Nilgiris. The State Health Department has planned to set up 3 rehabilitation centres at Erode

Government Hospital, Karur Government Hospital and Chennai Stanley Government Hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 44 lakh to reduce the incidence of malnutrition.

The Health Minister visited several patients at the Omandurar Multi-Super Speciality Hospital on Sunday, including Balaji (21), a national-level boxer and a patient at the separate treatment unit for athletes, a boy from Krishnagiri district treated for burns while applying sanitiser, and a class 12 student who was provided with special arrangements to write her board exams from the hospital and back.