Ayush doctors have decided to launch a protest owing to the state government’s decision to cut their salary from Rs 28,000 to Rs 20,000 last year.

Ayush doctors include specialists in ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy. On the other hand, the state government has recently increased the salary of general doctors from Rs 30,000 to Rs 41,000 while that of specialists from Rs 40,000 to Rs 44,000. This is also applicable to contract doctors.

Madhurendu Pandey, the president of Ayush Medical Association, Bihar, said: “In 2012, the state government had increased the salary of ayush doctors from Rs 15,000 to Rs 28,000. We got the revised salary only till April 2013. In May 2013, the salary of ayush doctors was reduced to Rs 20,000. While the state government has increased the salary of general physicians, it has cut the salary of ayush doctors. This speaks of the step-motherly attitude of the government.”

Pandey stressed that while the rules and conditions of services are same for both ayush and general doctors, why there should be discrepancies regarding the salary.

He claimed that most of the primary health centres (PHCs) and additional primary health centres (APHCs) in the state run successfully because of the efforts of ayush doctors posted there.

Sources in the health department said there are 1,384 ayush doctors currently posted at different PHCs and APHCs in the state. These doctors work under National Rural Health Mission.

Pandey said: “After 2010, no appointments of ayush doctors have been done in the state. There are 2,000 posts of ayush doctors currently vacant in the state.”

A panel of ayush doctors consisting of 7,000 members was released in February 2010 and was to expire in December 2010.

The panel was extended to March 2011 but is non-existent now. At present, there is no pool of ayush doctors available with the state government from which it can fill up the vacant posts at PHCs and APHCs.

Pandey said: “We have convened a meeting in the last week of June to chalk out our future course of action. If the government fails to increase our salary we will have to launch a protest.”

Principal secretary, health, Deepak Kumar, initially said the government was considering increasing the salary of ayush doctors. But later he said: “The salary of ayush doctors is paid by the central government. The state government has no role in it.”