============================================
MT India Digest - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MTID
Moderated Discussion List
"Community of MT Professionals, Since 1999"
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Moderated by: Published by:
Amit Chatterjee, SM MT India
amit@... www.MTIndia.org

..................................................
Mar 01, 2003 Digest #099
..................................................

.....IN THIS DIGEST.....

=============NEW=================

-=Government "Help"=-

~Kunal Jain
"unavailability of good manpower as well as the lack of good
training institutes"

===========CONTINUING============

-=MT salaries and perks!=-

~Sadhana Perti
"Why is the time schedule and incentives so discouraging?"

~Manoj Nag
"why there is such big gap in salary in Chandigarh, when compared
to someone working in Delhi."

-=IPR laws in India=-

~K. Varun
"lot of community is breaking up the law and I just do not want to
be a spectator."

*****************************************************************

From: Kunal Jain
Subject: An important issue in MT industry

Hi Amit,

I would like to share some important issue in MT industry with
other members of your site. We are a 3 year old company in this
field and catering to few well managed Clinics in US.

As we all are aware that Quality manpower is the key of success in
this business. But because of many fly by night players of this
industry during 2001-2002 lot of good quality people left this
field and changed their stream. Now what left is the unavailability
of good manpower as well as the lack of good training institutes
and the most important lack of desire amongst the career oriented
youth to adopt this as a career choice. Can we as an industry
platform push this matter to the govt to help and promote the MT
industry.

Govt can support in terms of creating awareness and giving income
tax rebate to the MT employees for some period of time which can
definite attract youth to adopt MT as a serious career choice. This
is just an idea. I know it is really tough to raise this issue
infront of govt. But what I want to see more and more good people
to chose MT industry as a lucrative career option.

This will not only help to MT companies grow but also to find
quality manpower.

Your comments, Suggestions Welcome!

Kunal
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Government-"Help"
[MODERATOR COMMENT]

Dear Kunal and all,

This is a frequent question I hear at MT business seminars and
workshops.

Because there are very few swinging votes in small business (that's
what most of MTSOs are) - and because we're so pre-occupied with
the idea of our own independence (and so frantically busy being
frantically busy being frantically busy) - small business has no
political clout at all. Not in real terms. So it presents no threat
to either side of politics. They can safely treat us with barely
concealed contempt.

They're forever going to do all those wonderful things that,
somehow, never quite seem to happen. Then we scratch our heads and
wonder why all we seem to get from our politicians are more
legislation, more taxes and charges, more restrictive regulations,
more extensive (and expensive) compliance, more stretching of our
limited resources, more time-consuming paperwork. and more
bureaucrats!

Bureaucrats, who need small business like fleas need dogs, have a
life-and-death interest in controlling the direction and growth of
small business in India. But bureaucrats are a resource. Their
proper role is to provide reliable information, advice and
logistical support. They are not meant to be in control of those
they serve.

Working closely with many motivated, talented, courageous,
entrepreneurial individuals within that system in recent years, I'
ve watched too many of them become disillusioned and disheartened
when their results became too threatening to the perceived security
of some career bureaucrat higher up in the same system. They soon
found themselves inexplicably sidelined, or buried in red tape.
Some gave up and resigned. Others played safe. They became
bureaucrats, too.

From where I stand on the outside looking in, those who manage to
survive and prosper seem to be those who learn to work the system
to achieve what they want and become, in the process, politicians
rather than bureaucrats.

The Govt. offers very limited help in the two key aspects of being
in business that are the most critical. being productive and
creating profit. Even when they do provide training in these
aspects, it tends to be the "safe", stale old stuff from BIG
business that doesn't have much real relevance for small business.

The question we should be asking ourselves is this:
"Are control driven, activity focused, problem oriented, risk
fearing, security obsessed, emotionally dependent, empire building
bureaucrats the right people to be teaching anyone to operate
productive, profit driven, results focused, solutions oriented,
independent, risk taking, free enterprise small businesses?"
Small business people are so permanently busy just surviving that
we don't recognize or understand what's being done to us.
If we're at all serious about free enterprise, independence and
personal freedom, we should be prepared to stand on our own feet
and seek our own training and support from people qualified to
deliver it, not expect governments to provide it all for us.
Otherwise, we risk getting the "help" we deserve.

That's just my 2 paise, based on my perception of Governments -
remember, I was once part of them:). This might not be true
across the board, especially in states like Andhra, where the
leadership is trying to run the Govt. like a corporate entity, but
that's the exception, rather than the rule.

Personally speaking, I don't see why any Govt. should give IT
rebates to Indian MTs, or cricketers for that matter. MTs should be
thankful for an opportunity to earn a good income in a pleasant
environment, and fulfill their social obligations as everyone else.

That the industry has not been able to consolidate and define
standards both as business establishments as well as towards
education even after eight years, should be a wake up call for all
of us. If we expect MTIA or AAMT to do that for us, would be
talking a step back!

If we are unable to consolidate and speak on a common organized
platform, fragmented lobbying is unlikely to bear fruit.

Regards,

Amit C.
www.MTIndia.org
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Government-"Help"

===========CONTINUING============
From: Sadhana Perti
Subject: MT as a career

One hears of so many MT companies and also of persons who have
trained as MTs and yet there seems to be a gap in the requirement.
Why is this so? Why is the time schedule and incentives so
discouraging? I have trained and worked as an MT but almost all my
colleagues and I were frustrated due to the tremendous stress of
the job. To make matters worse even the management seemed
unaffected by the pleas of its MTs. I had to leave due to
unavoidable reasons but I find that whichever company I approach
has a time schedule that I feel will put me in the same boat as I
was in my earlier company. Is this universally true of all MT
companies?

Sadhana Perti
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=MT-salaries-and-perks!

++++ new post - same topic ++++

From: Manoj Nag
Subject: Salary in Medical Transcription

Dear Amit,

It is worth reading your mails containing MT India Digest, as it
keeps me update about the latest developments in Medical
Transcription field.

Sir, I would like to clear one of my doubts regarding the salary
part. I have noted that in places like Delhi and Bangalore an MT is
paid a salary in the range of Rs. 8,500 to Rs. 15,000 per month,
where as the same counterpart in Chandigarh is paid salary from Rs.
4000 to Rs. 8000. I would like to know why there is such big gap in
salary when compared to someone working in Delhi as against in
Chandigarh.

I have residence in both cities and I hardly find or I find only a
marginal difference in living cost between Delhi and Chandigarh.
Sir, please let me know the real reasons for it.

Awaiting your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Manoj Nag
Chandigarh
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=MT-salaries-and-perks!
[MODERATOR COMMENT]

Hi all!

Just wanted a comment on the posts above from "satisfied" MTs; or
is that an oxymoron, like a "vegetarian" Bengali? I do believe
there will be a few out there who can cope with this profession,
and are happy at the end of the day! Anyway, by 2 paise, FWIW...

Sadhana: MT never was, and is unlikely to be a routine 10 to 5 job.
Healthcare works 365x7x24, and all supporting services have to work
similarly. As far as incentives are concerned, genuine companies
are paying substantial remuneration. If I contrast an MTs take home
to one of an intensive care nurse or an operation theatre
assistant, it compares very favorably.

You didn't talk specifics, so it is difficult to comment. MT is
hard work, but stress is what you create. I don't know of any job
where you can take home a decent paycheck, and doesn't require hard
work - day in and out.

Manoj: I do not think the figures you quote are correct, though
local demand and supply does define pay and perks. It does happen
that there are more MTs in a city than there are functional
companies, and that disrupts equilibrium. The same holds true the
other way around. Anyone has a differing opinion on the figures?

Regards,

Amit C.
www.MTIndia.org
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=MT-salaries-and-perks!

++++ new post - different topic ++++

From: K. Varun
Subject: Copyright Laws...

Dear Maj Amit,

Thanks for that reply. Anyway, nice to hear that you can volenteer
for this cause. I actually raised this issue because a whole lot
of community is breaking up the law and I just do not want to be a
spectator. At least I thought of raising this issue is some sort
of forums, thats what I did by putting this issue into the eyes and
ears of MTIDers.

I will do all my best and put in my best efforts to stop this
nonsense if I am supported.

Thanks a lot.

Varun. K
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Copyright-Laws
[MODERATOR COMMENT]

Dear Varun,

<I will do all my best and put in my best efforts to stop this
nonsense if I am supported.>

That's exactly what I said last time around. Publishers are into
this as a business, and must cover the expenses to protect IPR, in
India as elsewhere. If I invest my time looking after their
interests, they must pick up the bill, not me.

I do not support piracy in any form, but policing is not a charity
that is anywhere near the top, on my list of priorities.

Regards,

Amit C.
www.MTIndia.org
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Copyright-Laws

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