Shortage of doctors lead to long queue at hospitals

28 January ,2009 -A week after the National Assembly approved the civil servant pay hike, the cabinet has revised the scarcity allowance system for teachers and doctors, including nurses and clinical staff.

Doctors and teachers, less than five years in service, will now also get allowances unlike in the earlier system where only those who had served more than five years were eligible for allowances in an increasing five year gap period.

This will also mean an automatic increase in allowances for those serving more than five years. It could now take only 10 years to get their full allowance, 30 % for doctors and 20% for teachers, nurses and clinical staff.

“The allowances have been revised since young doctors are getting a net loss of 10 percent on their pay even after their 35 percent hike since their ongoing 45 percent allowance was done away with,” said Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley in a telephone interview from Pemagatshel. The Prime Minister said that he learnt of this anomaly from some doctors while visiting Mongar this week.

On the teacher’s allowance Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba who chaired the cabinet meeting said, “there was general unhappiness among teachers and we need to retain and attract good teachers.” Many of the teachers fell below five years category of experience, which meant no allowance.

Education minister Lyonpo Thakur Powdyel said that the ministry of education raised the issue of teacher’s allowance since teachers play a key role and moreover the allowance they used to get few years ago was done away with.

Meanwhile, the revision is expected to reduce five years of allowance gap for around 6,000 teachers in various institutions, around 150 doctors, 500 plus nurses and a similar, but unspecified number of clinical staff.

The increase will still follow the staggering system of five-year gaps. This will mean that doctors will now get 20 percent for first 5 years, 25 percent for 6-10 years and 30 percent for above 10 years.

Teachers, nurses and clinical staff will now follow the 10 percent for the first five years, 15 percent for 6-10 years and 20 percent for above 10 years. Medical specialists were already granted a flat 40 percent allowance on their basic pay.

The Prime Minister said that it was regrettable that there was an oversight but now the cabinet had taken necessary remedial measures. Lyonpo Zimba said that as per the principles of the pay hike no one should get lesser than what they were getting before.