Karnataka Gov. seeks centre's approval to boost remuneration for healthcare staff
Bengaluru: In a move to address the shortage of healthcare staff in public health facilities across Karnataka, the Chief Secretary to the Karnataka Government has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare seeking approval to enhance remuneration for healthcare personnel under the National Health Mission (NHM).
In a letter addressed to Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary to the government of Karnataka, underscored the urgent need for competitive pay scales to attract and retain healthcare professionals in difficult locations.
Highlighting the current challenges faced by Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), and Taluk Hospitals due to the lack of essential staff, Dr. Rajneesh emphasized the public outcry over shortage in healthcare services.
Meanwhile in a proposal, submitted by Dr. Naveen Bhat, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Karnataka to Aradhana Patnaik Secretary and Director National Health Mission, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, outlines a revised salary structure for various categories of healthcare workers, including nurses, MBBS doctors, clinical specialists, and super specialists.
The revision aims to fulfill the gap owing to stagnant remuneration over the past seven years, which has led to high attrition rates and difficulty in staffing remote areas.
The new salary framework proposes significant increases, with staff nurses earning up to ₹22,000, MBBS doctors up to ₹95,000, clinical specialists up to ₹2,00,000, and super specialists up to ₹2,50,000. Additionally, an annual increment of 5% has been proposed to ensure long-term retention.
According to the letter, for the fiscal year 2024-25, the revised remuneration plan requires a budget of ₹1,739.83 lakhs, bringing the total budget to ₹6,852.55 lakhs.
Additionally, the Karnataka government has assured that the plan will be implemented within the approved NHM budget, with supplementary proposals submitted if necessary.
Through the revised amount of salary, the state government aims to attract qualified professionals, retain existing employees and improve existing healthcare facilities.
Dr. Rajneesh has urged immediate intervention of the central government in this regard to prevent further decline in health care s rvices in the state.
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
