Report and evidence into the pay, status and conditions of service of medical officers of the army, with evidence concerning the Indian Service.

  • Great Britain. War Office. Committee Appointed to Inquire into the Pay, Status, and Conditions of Service of Medical Officers of the Army.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report and evidence into the pay, status and conditions of service of medical officers of the army, with evidence concerning the Indian Service. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    5. A Surgeon when travelling on duty at home, or in the colonies, is entitled to travelling or detention allowance of 10s. per diem to cover his hotel expenses, cab hire being allowed in addition. In India a Surgeon, Medical Staff, when travelling on duty receives neither travelling allowance nor cab hire. iVt every important station he stops at he has to report himself to the Principal Medical Officer in person, and as the cantonment is, as a rule, from one to two miles distant from the railway station, he has to hire a carriage (gharri) at his own expense. On the line of rail he has to live on the food provided at refeshment rooms, or at a rest camp at an average cost of 7 rupees per diem. On arrival at Deolute he is obliged to live at the mess, where he is usually detained some days. Similar expenses are incurred on the return journey if he be fortunate enoxigh to join his station direct, but a Siu-geon once outside his district is liable to be sent with troops, either by road or rail, to any part of India during the trooping season. A duty of this kind usually lasts a fortnight, or longer, during which time he has the expense of keeping up his establishment (bungalow, servants, &c.) at his own station. A Surgeon may, as a rule, expect two such tours of duty each trooping season. It may be argued that the same thing happens to combatant Officers, but there being a greater number of these Officers, the tiu'n of duty, very seldom comes to the same individual, whilst Medical Officers are constantly on the move. Indian Medical Office^-s do not do this duty, but Siu'geons, Medical Staff, are sometimes told off to accompany a Native regiment on the march, no Surgeon, Indian Medical Service, being available. II.—BRIGADE SURGEONS. The rank that sufters most next to the Surgeon from being underpaid is that of Brigade Surgeon. 1. Brigade Surgeons in India, who always holds important charges, draw no staff allowance, which is an anomaly. 2. Brigade Surgeons draw no increase of pay on promotion from Surgeon-Major, their rank not being recognized by the Indian Government. 3. It is possible for a Brigade Surgeon to draw less pay than he did five or six years ago as a Surgeon-Major in charge of a Cavalry regiment or battery of Artillery. 4. No distinction is made in respect of pay between Brigade Surgeons and Surgeon-Major, who have been passed over, and if the latter has over 25 years' service he will draw more pay (1,093 rupees) than the former, if he happens to have less than five years' service (1,05G rupees). The Surgeon-Major serving under the Brigade Surgeon possibly. 5. Owing to Brigade Surgeons being posted to important posts, they are ineligible for staff appointments which a Surgeon-Major may hold, and the staff allowance attached thereto would make his total pay greater than that of a Brigade Surgeon. The fact remains that the Medical Staff of the Army in India has, within the past few years been deprived of large smns of money in the shape of allowances, that their numbers have been reduced, thus throwing extra work on those that remain, and diminishing their chances of leave; that the Senior Officers had greatly.increased duties and responsibilities imposed on them, and that the Indian Government has not in any way recognized the position of Brigade Surgeons in that country, either by giving them the position they are entitled to, or making them any money allo-wance for their extra work and responsibility, both officially and pecuniary. There are several precedents for considering the claim of the Brigade Surgeons, viz., the Majors of Royal Artillery, when promoted from the rank of Captain were all granted ]\rajor's pay, and, further, the grant was made retrospective. In the same way, the New Line Majors Avere granted an increase of pay; it cannot be doubted that the claims of the Brigade Surgeons would have been attended to years ago had the department had the same influence in the House of Commons as the Royal Artillery and Line Officers. In conclusion, the claims of the Brigade Surgeons are— (1.) Recognition of their rank in India, with the increase of pay granted fo the rank by the RoyaJ Warrant; (2.) Exemption from routine duties; f3.) A staff allowance sufficient to mark the importance of their duties, and compensate them for their pecuniary and other responsibilities. F. R. BARKER, M.B., Lond., Surgeon, Medical Staff.