Admin department asks 16 JJ hospital doctors to return ‘extra’ salary

A senior woman doctor from the pathology department of JJ Hospital has been asked to cough up Rs 22 lakh to be returned to the administrative department; all this, because the hospital paid her an additional amount as part of her salary in the last 10 years. Further, the doctor has been told to pay the amount in instalments of Rs 50,000 per month.

The doctor is an associate professor at JJ hospital for the last 10 years. “It is shocking. This is a mistake of the administration. I was given ad-hoc promotion. How will I manage to pay such a huge amount ” But she is not alone. Almost 16 other doctors will have to return their increments.

While speaking to The Asian Age, dean of JJ hospital, Dr T.P. Lahane, said, “The doctor was paid more salary than what she should have got. She provided wrong information to the account office. These things were revealed in an audit. She was appointed as lecturer later on, promoted to assistant professor and then associate professor on ad hoc basis. However, she informed the accounts department that she is an associate professor and received the salary accordingly. For 10 years, she received extra salary. The accounts department wanted to collect all the money from her and other doctors at once. However, I have told them to recover it in monthly instalments of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000.”

According to doctors, they are given ad hoc promotions so that government hospitals can get good rating from the Maharashtra Medical Council (MCI). “MCI gives better grades to medical colleges if there are more number of associate professors. Therefore the promotions are given on ad hoc basis where the doctors are paid the same salary which they get as a lecturer,” a source said.