Bengaluru: In a significant move to fill long-standing vacancies under the National Health Mission (NHM), Karnataka’s Health Department has revised the salary structure for newly recruited MBBS doctors, specialists, and staff nurses following approval from the Central Government.
Low Pay Scales Led to Persistent Vacancies
Announcing the revised pay at a press conference on Wednesday, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated that uncompetitive salary packages were a major reason for the limited interest in government healthcare positions. As a result, despite repeated recruitment drives, hundreds of sanctioned posts remain vacant.
As of the 2024–2025 fiscal year, only 819 of the 1,398 approved MBBS doctor positions under NHM have been filled, while 579 are still vacant. Similarly, 305 of the 899 sanctioned specialist doctor posts and 936 out of 9,041 staff nurse posts remain unfilled.
New Pay Structure Announced
Under the revised structure:
- MBBS doctors will now earn ₹60,000 per month, up from ₹46,895–₹50,000.
- Major clinical specialists (including obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia, general medicine, orthopaedics, surgery, and ophthalmology) will earn ₹1,40,000 per month, increased from ₹1,10,000–₹1,30,000.
- Staff nurses will now receive ₹22,000 monthly, compared to the earlier ₹14,186–₹18,774.
In addition, candidates with prior experience will receive a 2.5% increment for each year of relevant experience at the time of appointment.
Applicable Only to New Recruits
The revised salaries will only apply to new hires under the NHM. Current employees will continue with their existing pay scale but will receive a 5% annual increment.
However, existing staff members can choose to resign and reapply under the new pay structure. “While preference will be given—two additional marks per year of service—there is no assurance of selection, as recruitment will be merit-based,” Rao clarified.
Expected Boost to Healthcare Delivery
The minister expressed hope that the salary hike will draw more qualified professionals to the public health system, thereby strengthening services in maternal and child care, surgeries, and both outpatient and inpatient departments.
“This reform is ultimately aimed at improving the quality and reach of public healthcare,” he said.
Delayed Salaries to Be Resolved Soon
Addressing concerns over delayed payments, Rao explained that the two-month delay in salary disbursal to current NHM staff was due to late fund release from the Central Government. “This typically happens at the start of the fiscal year. However, since we exhausted 95% of last year’s NHM funds, we couldn’t manage internally this time,” he said, adding that the issue would be resolved within a few days.
