Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced various incentives to motivate junior doctors, including members of house staff, interns and postgraduate trainees, who have been at the forefront of Covid fight.

Postgraduate trainees will have their three-year-bond period reduced based on the time spent in treating Covid-19 patients. For every year of service, they will receive an additional 10 per cent of their current monthly stipend.

“Say a postgraduate trainee serves as a Covid warrior for a year, his bond period will be two years. If someone serves for six months, he will be left with two-and-a-half years,” Mamata said. “It’s like going to the market and cooking as well.”

Postgraduate trainees who serve as Covid warriors will receive the additional 10 per cent incentive for every year of their service. “If a postgraduate trainee serves for three years, he will receive a total incentive of 30 per cent,” Mamata said. “Those offering medical services to Covid-19 patients will be considered as workers in a ‘difficult area’. All of them have been working with tremendous dedication.”

The chief minister’s announcement came nine days after the government had announced a hike in salary and stipend of junior doctors, members of the house staff and interns at state-run hospitals.

The monthly remuneration of post graduate trainees in their first, second and third year has been revised to Rs 43,758, Rs 47,124 and Rs 50,490 with retrospective effect from January 1. The monthly stipend of interns has been hiked by Rs 4,425 to Rs 28,050 while that of a member of the house staff has been raised by Rs 5,367 to Rs 43,758 a month.

“Junior doctors share the bulk of the patient load and more so during this time. Any form of incentive means the state government appreciates their dedication,” a health department official said. “Several junior doctors at Calcutta Medical College and other hospitals have tested positive for Covid-19. But they have remained undeterred in these trying times.”

The government will increase the number of members of the house staff from the present 1,200 to 1,800 and all junior doctors will get “Covid warrior” certificates, Mamata said.

“Junior doctors will be on duty by rotation so that their training and other academic activities are not hampered,” she said. “We will invite final-year MBBS students to join as ‘Covid trainee’ on rotation. They will assist senior doctors on duty.”

The state government has decided to send postgraduate trainees to their “bond postings” a day after they appear for the final exams. This year, the exams are scheduled for June 29 and 30.

Mamata said postgraduate trainees would start work from July 1.

Apart from clinical specialists, the government will now engage non-clinical doctors from various fields to join the Covid fight so that hospitals can get their services, she said.