Dehradun – In an effort to draw more physicians to its remote districts, the Uttarakhand cabinet has unveiled a revised salary structure for resident doctors and demonstrators serving in state‑run medical colleges. The new pay bands add a location‑based premium for staff posted in the hilly belt, where chronic understaffing has long hampered public health services.
Senior residents receive a substantial boost
Effective immediately, senior residents stationed in hill hospitals will be entitled to Rs 1.10 lakh per month, up from the earlier Rs 90,000. Their counterparts on the plains will see their monthly remuneration rise to Rs 1.05 lakh from Rs 84,000.
Junior residents also see higher wages
Junior residents working in the mountains will now draw Rs 85,000 a month, an increase from Rs 76,000. Those posted in the flatter regions will have their salary adjusted to Rs 80,000, up from Rs 71,000.
Adjusted pay for demonstrators
The same differential has been extended to demonstrators. In hill postings, their monthly salary will climb to Rs 85,000 (previously Rs 76,000), while demonstrators on the plains will receive Rs 80,000 instead of Rs 71,000.
Why the location‑based distinction?
Officials say the higher remuneration for mountain assignments is designed to make these posts more appealing, helping to plug the persistent vacancy gap in government hospitals across Uttarakhand’s rugged districts. The uplift is also expected to aid medical colleges in retaining residents, thereby strengthening patient care and academic activities.
Current staffing figures reveal that the state’s public medical colleges employ 251 junior residents, 246 senior residents, and 134 demonstrators. The salary revisions will translate into a significant rise in monthly earnings for each of these groups.
Tackling the doctor shortage
The move comes amid ongoing concerns about inadequate doctor numbers in public health facilities, especially in high‑altitude districts where many departments operate below sanctioned strength. By offering a financial incentive, the government hopes to persuade more physicians to accept or continue hill‑area postings, easing the strain on understaffed hospitals.
Alongside 23 other proposals covering development, education, governance and public services, the remuneration revision was highlighted as a key measure to fortify Uttarakhand’s healthcare delivery system.
