CM approves major salary hike for contractual AYUSH doctors

Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday approved a major salary hike for contractual AYUSH doctors working under the National Health Mission (NHM) in the state, aiming to recognise their role in strengthening healthcare delivery and boost morale among frontline practitioners.

As per the decision, the monthly remuneration of contractual AYUSH doctors under NHM was revised upwards, with increases linked to length of service. The earlier pay level of Rs 20,000 per month was enhanced, with the revised structure providing higher payouts based on seniority.


Doctors with less than 5 years of service will receive an additional Rs 20,000 per month, taking their minimum monthly salary to Rs 56,948. Those who completed 5 to 10 years of service will get a monthly increase of Rs 25,000, raising their salary to Rs 74,467, according to the decision.

For AYUSH doctors with 10 to 15 years of service, the monthly hike was set at Rs 30,000, bringing their salary to Rs 80,467. Doctors serving for more than 15 years will receive the highest increase of Rs 40,000 per month, with their revised salary reaching Rs 91,467 per month.

According to data, the state currently has 2,912 AYUSH doctors engaged under NHM. With the implementation of the revised pay structure, the govt is expected to incur an additional expenditure of around Rs 1 crore annually. The CMO issued a statement in this regard on Tuesday.

The chief minister said the move is intended to encourage AYUSH professionals and strengthen service delivery, expressing confidence that the revised pay will contribute to further improvement in AYUSH healthcare services across the state. The AYUSH doctors have been demanding a hike for a long time.

The decision brought smiles to the faces of the AYUSH doctors engaged in different parts of the state. “We were always neglected compared to general doctors. Our contribution is being appreciated now,” said Jagan Mohapatra, an AYUSH doctor.