Pune: Jumbo Hospitals Luring Doctors, Nurses by Offering High Salaries Alleges BJP Corporator

Mehab Qureshi

Pune, August 22, 2020: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Praveen Chorbole has put severe allegations after a  message was found in circulation for luring doctors by offering high salaries and other facilities and asking them to join Jumbo Hospitals.

Jumbo Hospitals are being set up in Pune for treating Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive patients. These hospitals are designed to hold a large number of patients with uninterrupted oxygen supply and ventilators. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has issued a tender for hiring doctors, nurses and other medical assistants at the Jumbo Hospitals.

Speaking to Punekarnews.in, Chorbole said, “They are calling doctors working in COVID care centres and asking them to work at the Jumbo hospitals by offering them more money. Doctors at private hospitals are paid up to Rs 30,000, but they are now offering them Rs 60,000 and influencing them to work with Jumbo Hospitals.”

“Almost 20 nurses at Poona Hospital in Deccan have resigned, and they have lured eight health workers at Ranka Hospitals as well. My only concern is, there is already a shortage of staff at COVID care centers, and if the doctors and nurses start to resign, then the situation will only get worse,” he added.

When asked what’d be his next step, Chorbole informed, “I have already submitted a memorandum to the PMC Commissioner. If this continues, we will sit on a hunger strike, and the COVID care centres will have no other option than shutting down.”

Pune Municipal Commissioner(PMC) has recently appointed doctors and nurses on contract basis at the COVID Care Center for six months. This includes students from the final year of MBBS as well. The fight against the corona is likely to intensify once the recruitment at the Jumbo hospitals is completed.