Key Points

Spokesperson Minister Rushikesh Patel briefed the media following the Cabinet meeting, stating that private specialist doctors offering services for a minimum of three hours a day in district hospitals, sub-district hospitals, and community health centres will now receive Rs 4,200 per day as honorarium.

This is a notable increase from the previous rates, where paediatricians and general physicians received Rs 3,000 per day and other specialists received Rs 2,000 per day.

In a further step toward standardisation and fairness, the cabinet also revised the honorarium structure for visiting super-specialist doctors in government medical colleges, GMERS-run institutions, and their affiliated hospitals.

Previously, non-surgical super specialists were paid Rs 8,500 per day for three hours of service, while surgical super specialists received only Rs 2,700.

Under the new decision, both surgical and non-surgical super specialists will uniformly receive Rs 8,500 per day after completing the minimum service requirement.

The move is expected to strengthen specialist healthcare access in rural and semi-urban Gujarat, bridge doctor shortages, and provide fair compensation to private practitioners who support the state's public health system.

Officials noted that the decision reflects the state government's ongoing commitment to improving healthcare delivery and infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas.

"This honorarium hike is not just a financial revision, it's a recognition of the vital role these doctors play in strengthening healthcare outreach," Minister Rushikesh Patel emphasised.

As per available government data, Gujarat has a total of over 68,000 registered doctors, including both allopathic and alternative medicine practitioners.

Of these, approximately 43,000 are allopathic (MBBS and specialists) registered with the Gujarat Medical Council. The remaining are practitioners of AYUSH systems - Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, and Unani.

Despite this sizable number, the distribution of doctors remains uneven, with a majority concentrated in urban areas such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot.

Rural and tribal districts face a significant shortage of medical professionals, particularly specialists.

- IANS