Mangalore : Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader has said that there is no proposal of banning tobacco before the State government. No such proposals are under consideration, he said in a press conference at Circute house here on Tuesday Nov 4.

Speaking to media persons Khader said that NGOs are conducting study on positive and negetive effects of gutka ban and government is taking advice from NGOs. The government won’t take any decision in a hurry, he promised.

To a query, the Minister said that the government has written a letter to Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) to appoint 983 PG doctors, 381 MBBS doctors and more than 3,000 paramedical staff. There is a shortage of 1,600 PG doctors, 321 MBBS doctors and more than 600 nursing staff in the State.

To another query, he said the salary of the PG doctors has been increased from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1,10,000 and MBBS doctors will get Rs 70,000 instead of Rs 52,000, he said. The doctors who are working on contract basis will be regularised after three years of service.

The government can’t introduce cheque system. However, the Chief Minister has warned the RDPR Secretary that the salary amount should reach doctors within one month after sending, he said. The salary of NRHM staff, including doctors will be increased soon, he added.

The Government has also taken steps to ensure unlimited supply of medicines to the Primary Health Centres. The doctors have been asked to give indent two months in advance so that the medicines could be supplied accordingly, Khader said.

The government is also mulling to set up a pharmacy which will supply medicine at concessional price, i.e. 20 per cent less than the MRP. These pharmacies will be set up in the vicinity of the district hospital and will be open 24*7, Khader said.

Further, the government is also mulling to set up hi-tech labs and diagnostic centres in selected district hospital and the government will fix the charges, he added.

Khader said that there will be major surgery done to ‘108’ ambulances. In total, 198 new ambulances will be available for the service, wherein the State will provide 98 vehicles and Central government will provide 100 ambulances, he said.

Speaking about Konaje land issue he said that, on BJP’s allegation that the government had earmarked 4.33 acres of land at Konaje village to distribute sites for poor, but it withdrew the order within three months, Khader said that the BJP has never provided an inch of land to poor in last 10 years.

As there was no alternative land for the college, officials decided to use the same land for college which is for public utility service. In the proposed beneficiary list prepared by the BJP, there are few who have already got sites from the government, he alleged.