Lucknow Govt Hospitals Face Brain Drain as Doctors Take Private Offers With Higher Pay

Government medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow including the King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, and Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) have been witnessing a brain drain of doctors. According to a report by LiveHindustan, close to 20 doctors from these three institutes have quit, to join private hospitals at higher pay packages in the last four years. Many were opting for voluntary retirement (VRS) to take up to private opportunities.

The report added that doctors from these three institutes were the first choice of new corporate hospitals. The private hospitals were ready to offer double and sometimes triple the money the doctors were getting at the government institutes. The brand names of doctors from government institutes helped the hospitals establish themselves in the competitive environment.

While doctors starting their careers preferred joining these institutes to gain experience, the low pay package compared to their private counterparts had led to many quitting. The elimination of old pension schemes and many other retirement benefits, which were previously available to the doctors have also led to many new recruits moving to private hospitals, the report claimed.

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Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced to pay doctors for KGMU at par with their counterparts at SGPGIMS. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the state’s medical education secretary, Mumtaz Ahmed Siddiqui, on Tuesday issued an order announcing the new pay packages.

The doctors at KGMU had long been demanding parity with the pay packages of their counterparts at the PGI. The demands have finally been fulfilled and come as an early Diwali bonus. There are over 500 doctors working g at KGMU.

The arrears would be reimbursed to KGMU doctors in four instalments, according to the directive. Doctors will receive two payments this year and the remaining two payments in the new fiscal year. The decision was welcomed by the representatives of the KGMU doctors.

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