Bhubaneswar: The doctors of Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla have informed the Odisha government that they want better masks and PPE instead of four months’ salary in advance.
March 25, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced that doctors, paramedics and healthcare workers in Odisha, who are the first line of defence providing relentless services amid these difficult conditions, would get four months’ salary in advance in April.
In a letter to the chief minister, the doctors at VIMSAR thanked the government for announcing four months’ advance salary for healthcare personnel across the state.
At the same time, they said they would not like to get the advance salary as the government needs additional funding to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We assure you (CM) to be with the government during this crisis. Humbly, we are denying to take it as the whole country is in requirement of money to handle the situation and that money (advance salary ) may be utilised in controlling the situation for the time being,” they said in the letter.
Instead, the doctors said that they require better quality masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they are attending COVID-19 patients, they said.
“We request you to provide better masks and PPE to the health personnel. That will help to stop the spread of the highly infectious virus,” they said.
In a related development, the state government Monday ordered early disbursement of pension.
Amid the lockdown, the Odisha government is likely to release the salary of employees April 3 and pensions April 9, official sources said.
(PTI)