The Teachers Welfare Association of Medical College Tanda has called the decision of the state government to restore the non-practising allowance (NPA) exclusively for super-specialist faculty members as discriminatory and detrimental to the morale of the medical fraternity. In a joint statement issued here on Monday, Dr Vivek Sood, Dr Neeraj Gupta and Dr Amit Bhardwaj, president, general secretary and secretary of the association, respectively, welcomed the restoration of the NPA to super-specialists holding DM, M.Ch and DNB qualifications but resented the exclusion of specialist doctors with MD and MS degrees as well as other medical faculty members.

The association said that the government’s decision had created an “artificial and unjust hierarchy” within the healthcare system by extending financial benefits to one category of doctors while denying the same to specialists who form the backbone of patient care, medical education and research in government medical colleges.

“The healthcare system functions through teamwork. Specialists and super-specialists work side by side under equally demanding conditions. Recognising one group while ignoring another is both unfair and demoralising,” it added.

The association said that specialist doctors handle an overwhelming majority of clinical cases, mentor postgraduate students and contribute significantly to research and academic activities. It added that denying them the NPA would not only undermine their professional contributions but also erode their dignity and motivation.

The association warned the government that the denial of allowance to specialists could aggravate the shortage of experienced doctors in the state. It added that many specialists were working under challenging conditions with comparatively lower entry-level salaries and the denial of allowance may push more doctors to seek opportunities in the private sector. — OC