AHMEDABAD: Covid-19 pandemic claimed jobs of many while majority suffered pay cuts across sectors. The global viral outbreak, however, turned healthcare into a ‘sunshine’ sector which recorded aggressive hiring, almost zero job cuts and over 50% pay hike.
Healthcare managers say demand for specialist doctors in critical care, internal medicine and pulmonology has shot up manifold. An unprecedented surge was recorded in shortterm employment for nursing and paramedical staff.
Babu Thomas, chief HR officer (CHRO) at Shalby Group of Hospitals, said that professionals engaged in Covid-19 duty in his hospital and elsewhere are getting 150% of their salary.
“Covid care professionals also get paid for the ‘cooling off days’ between their Covid duties when they are quarantined. Initially, HR departments had to deal with employees not reporting for work citing family pressure. Instilling confidence among the staff and ensuring uninterrupted round-the-clock service was a challenge,” said Thomas.
Birsingh Chaudhari, COO of HCG Ltd, said the hospital hired upward of 30 persons for Covid duty. “The hospital is also paying 50% more salary to 60% staff due to their direct involvement in Covid care,” he said.
Prof Rajesh Chandwani, a faculty at Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS) at IIM Ahmedabad, said that the past six-seven months were marked by the experiments and on the fly HR decisions in the hospital sector. “Healthcare sector saw different challenges in different phases of the pandemic. Incentivizing staff, providing separate accommodation to ensure they do not risk their families’ health and ensuring mental and physical well-being were top priorities for management,” he said.
Healthcare managers say demand for specialist doctors in critical care, internal medicine and pulmonology has shot up manifold. An unprecedented surge was recorded in shortterm employment for nursing and paramedical staff.
Babu Thomas, chief HR officer (CHRO) at Shalby Group of Hospitals, said that professionals engaged in Covid-19 duty in his hospital and elsewhere are getting 150% of their salary.
“Covid care professionals also get paid for the ‘cooling off days’ between their Covid duties when they are quarantined. Initially, HR departments had to deal with employees not reporting for work citing family pressure. Instilling confidence among the staff and ensuring uninterrupted round-the-clock service was a challenge,” said Thomas.
Birsingh Chaudhari, COO of HCG Ltd, said the hospital hired upward of 30 persons for Covid duty. “The hospital is also paying 50% more salary to 60% staff due to their direct involvement in Covid care,” he said.
Prof Rajesh Chandwani, a faculty at Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS) at IIM Ahmedabad, said that the past six-seven months were marked by the experiments and on the fly HR decisions in the hospital sector. “Healthcare sector saw different challenges in different phases of the pandemic. Incentivizing staff, providing separate accommodation to ensure they do not risk their families’ health and ensuring mental and physical well-being were top priorities for management,” he said.