KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a salary increase for medical staff in the state. Speaking at an event in Kolkata on Monday (February 24), she said that all interns, house staff, and postgraduate and postdoctoral trainees will get a pay hike of Rs.10,000.
Under the new salary structure, senior resident doctors with a diploma will now earn Rs.80,000 instead of Rs.65,000. Postgraduate senior resident doctors will receive Rs.85,000, up from Rs.70,000. Meanwhile, postdoctoral senior resident doctors will see their salaries rise from Rs.75,000 to Rs.1 lakh.
"We had increased the salaries of both senior and junior resident doctors earlier, but another revision was needed. So, we are raising the salaries of senior resident doctors at all levels by Rs.15,000," Banerjee said at the 'Chikitsar Arek Naam Seva' event.
The event was organized by the State Level Grievance Redressal Committee of the Health & Family Welfare Department. Many doctors from across West Bengal attended the meeting, where Banerjee interacted with them.
Background: RG Kar Rape-Murder Case
This announcement comes six months after the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The young doctor's body was found in a seminar hall on August 9, 2024. A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested the next day after being identified through CCTV footage and a Bluetooth earphone found at the crime scene.
The incident sparked nationwide protests, with many demanding better safety measures for medical professionals. Opposition leaders, including BJP’s Dilip Ghosh, had accused Banerjee of not taking adequate steps to protect junior doctors.