Latest news on 30th december 2009 from Miadhu"
Doctors worry the elimination of migration allowance
Dr. Mohamed Raazee of the IGMH has expressed concern that the Health Ministry had asked the IGMH to recruit the doctors without promising a migration allowance, which encourages the much needed expatriate and local medical doctors to work in the Maldives. Dr. Raazee also said he believed that the decision was made by the Civil Service Commission, and said that when the salaries were revised this year, migration allowances were not paid for the new doctors. He also said that if that allowance is not paid for the new expatriate doctors that would not be paid for the new local doctors as well. He also said that he is concerned about the low salaries being paid for the doctors as well.
Dr. Raazee also said that the because of the unattractiveness of the package, they are finding it very difficult to recruit doctors and IGMH and other hospitals are barely surviving because of the shortage of doctors.
But he said that once the IGMH is privatized it would bring independence from the civil service and IGMH can then increase salaries and other benefits for doctors and other employees. He also said that already an “Article of Association” is drafted and he believed that the change would come next year.
Once the change is made IGMH would be managed under a public-private partnership and of the 5 parties which expressed interest to manage the IGMH, one party is being evaluated for possible management handover.
A flashback news from March 2009 from Muthuim's blog:
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Maldivian Doctors Vs Civil Service Commission - A clash which might jeopardize the medical profession!
It’s saddening to witness a scenario of tug-of-war between Maldivian Medical Association and Civil Service Commission of Maldives (CSC). The situation initially heated up when the CSC revised the pay structure which resulted 13-42% deduction in doctors salary. The pay structure was revised with the main objective of pay increment to civil servants following the government decision to allocate further 1 billion rufiyaa to the purpose. But the expected happy news from the government turned out to be a nightmare for doctors by the unfair means it was delivered by CSC.
CSC is repeatedly opposing the fact there is any reduction in the pay, which is an act simply to fool/confuse public on the issue and spread hatred against Maldivian doctors. They even have publicized grossly inflated and erroneous figures to show doctors are being paid excessively. In fact in a meeting with Nurses Association the President of the CSC has apparently remarked that "even though doctors may be angry with us, now (we have made sure) public is against them”. BUT all this while it is their actions and silly application of 'rules' that has vastly reduced the services being rendered to patients, in terms of OPD patient numbers and ease of follow up.
| Post | Pay till 31st Jan 2009 (Total in Rf) | Pay from 1st Feb 2009 (Total in Rf) | Deducted Amount (Rf) | Deducted % |
| Medical officer | 13077 | 11375 | 1702 | 13% |
| Senior Medical Officer | 14786 | 12335 | 2451 | 16.6% |
| Senior Registrar | 22441 | 14565 | 7876 | 35% |
| Consultant | 26517 | 17390 | 9127 | 34.4% |
| Senior Consultant | 37481 | 20920 | 16561 | 44.2% |
(The simplest rule one can see in this is the higher the qualification and the level the higher amount of salary is deducted as the reward)
After doctors enquired this controversial- revised- pay- structure a ‘migration allowance’ has been included to fill up the deducted amount. BUT the CSC circular number (188-B/2009/8) clearly states the various allowances which can be listed under the ‘other allowance’ kind. It hasn’t revised since then which could give them authority to include whatever they wish. The regulations clearly indicate ‘migration allowance’ is not a permanent solution rather it’s a temporary trick CSC attempted to calm the heated situation. Therefore doctors who will get recruited after March 1st will not be entitled with this ‘unknown-fill-up” Migration allowance. Also this allowance might get investigated by anti-corruption board (cases such happened in past where CSC allowed allowances later were made to re-pay from servants own pockets)
The result of the pay deduction is not just a problem of medical professionals getting less salary; more importantly it might risk the future of the whole health sector. In this globalize world opportunities are open for qualified professionals as they are always in-need everywhere like here in
This issue should have been resolved peacefully at first place. Instead various sources within government and CSC hurried in blaming doctors negatively in public which lead the profession in risk.
- The decreased pay to medical doctors means the availability of qualified expatriates will decrease.
- The decreased pay and most crucially the negative image (hatred) public has for the profession might change the minds of our youths who previously admired to pursue carrier in medicine.
- Already graduated doctors might seek jobs abroad and their migration together with the above reasons will decrease the country’s medical professionals.
CSC claims they have revised it having dialogue with concerned people and did it with points given to technical, professional (skill and knowledge), and interaction with the public together with the leadership ability. Which is always pleasant to say but the truth is Maldivian doctor were never communicated or consulted with this issue (to whom its mainly related) and with the ‘fair’ pointing system, presently a doctor who has to handle life-risk situation in ICCU is offered a lower salary than a laboratory technician or a radiographer. (How on earth a medical doctor can be equaled in any professional way with someone taking a simple X-ray?) Please before comparing different professionals reflect on how much sacrifices, how much time and money one spend/use to become a doctor. By ignoring the qualified professionals with technical skills and knowledge there is great fear, the country might face the condition of ‘brain drain’ which will be very costly for the betterment of the nation.
I call CSC to respect the rules and regulations and refrain from spreading false information on this issue and end the defamation campaign it’s carrying out against the doctors. We have given you high-profiled post and giant salary in order to serve us with justice and honesty. There is nothing positive we can achieve by blaming each other instead it will only harm the people of this country.
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