Karnataka Government hikes salaries of NHM doctors

The Karnataka Government has decided to increase the salary of doctors under the National Health Mission (NHM). Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar confirmed the news and said the salaries of doctors has been hiked to 45,000 for the next six months in the state.

In his address to the media, Dr Sudhakar said that the state government will bear the cost of the hike in salaries of the doctors and added that ASHA staff will also get a salary hike soon.

He also talked about the COVID-19 management in the state and said that testing will be increased in the containment zones.

During a meeting chaired by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, the Education Minister said that it was decided that booth level committees would conduct door to door surveys for early detection of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI).

He also urged private hospitals to admit and treat COVID-19 patients and asked them to not be hesitant in admitting pregnant women. This is in the light of a tragedy happened on July 19, where three hospitals denied medical assistance for a pregnant woman. The pregnant woman gave birth to the baby in an auto-rickshaw. However the baby died.

This is the second infant to die in Bengaluru over the past 10 days after alleged lack of assistance from hospitals.

Karnataka on July 20 registered 3,648 new covid-19 positive cases increasing the tally to 67,420. While 72 more persons succumbed to the virus. There are 42,216 active cases in the state.