KNRUHS scraps Rs 15,000 rejoining fee for women PG doctors after maternity leave

Telangana’s Health University has removed the Rs 15,000 rejoining fee for women medical postgraduates returning from maternity leave. The move allows immediate rejoining, extends course duration for leave taken, and follows protests by doctors against the policy.

Hyderabad: In a major relief for women medical postgraduates (PGs) in Telangana, the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) has officially scrapped the controversial Rs 15,000 rejoining fee for women PG doctors returning from maternity leave.

The KNRUHS, in a notice issued to all government and private medical colleges in Telangana, said that maternity leave is now officially classified as distinct or separate from ‘unauthorised absence’.

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The University directive clarified that as maternity leave is separate from other forms of absence, the Rs 15,000 charge, previously mandated for breaks exceeding 91 days, will no longer be levied on new mothers.

The Health University has also outlined a streamlined process to prevent the ‘protracted waiting periods’ that previously stalled doctors’ training for months.

All the principals of private and government medical colleges have been instructed to permit students to rejoin and attend classes immediately upon their return from maternity leave.

Any unavailed casual leaves from the academic year can now be utilised during the extension period, a major win for doctors who were previously denied leave even for child health emergencies.

The postgraduate course duration will be extended by a period exactly equal to the leave taken to ensure training requirements are met.

The vital decision by the Health University comes days after the Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (TSRDA) raised a massive outcry against what they termed a ‘maternity penalty’, which forced women doctors to pay Rs 15,000 at the time of joining their duties after maternity leave.

Female doctors had alleged that they were being forced to choose between motherhood and their careers due to punitive financial hurdles and systemic delays.

While the rejoining fee after maternity leave has been removed, the State government, on its part, is yet to take a firm decision on the timely release of stipends to women PGs.

“The removal of the rejoining fee after maternity leave for women PG doctors by the Health University is welcome. We also urge the State government to act firmly to ensure timely release of stipends. At present, there is a 6 to 7-month delay in the release of stipends to PG doctors. Sometimes, they are getting stipends after completing their tenure in teaching hospitals,” president, Telangana Senior Residents Association (TSRDA), Dr Srinath said.

New maternity policy:

All women PG doctors are eligible for immediate rejoining by Principal with no fee applicable

General leave (91 days or more) requires an application to the University and a Rs 15,000 fee

Maternity leave, however, is not general leave and there is no rejoining fee

The period of PG course will be extended equal to the leave period

Senior Residents urge Government to ensure timely release of stipends

If PG doctors are absent for 2 years or more, it will result in automatic cancellation of admission