Stipend Disparities Mar MBBS education in India, Will NMC intervene?

New Delhi: The field of Medical education has seen several efforts towards standardization in the past. One of the major developments that led to standardization was the introduction of NEET, which is a common entrance a platform for MBBS admissions to all the medical courses and medical colleges in the country. Thereafter, efforts were also made to standardize the process of counselling- leaving little freedom in the hands of private institutes to admit candidates to the MBBS courses. The new entity the National Medical Commission (NMC) is also making several efforts to standardize the process of medical education across the country. It includes its efforts towards NExT or the National Exit Test, which is the upcoming common exit exam for the MBBS graduates, as well as the recently released MBBS internship guideline, that for the first time spelled out the entire journey of a medical student during internship and what outcomes they are expected to learn. However, the biggest pinching line that is yet to be addressed remains the issue of MBBS stipend across the country. While the role of MBBS students have taken a major leap in the COVID era, with young medicos being put in COVID duties, the corresponding remuneration to them for their services is marked by severe disparities.Also Read: MBBS internship only at Medical College where medico is studying: NMC releases fresh guidelines for Compulsory Rotating Internship Severe disparities in MBBS internship Stipend across India The issue of uniform stipend is not at all a new one. Severe disparities exist in the payout to the MBBS medicos depending on their states as well as institutions. Karnataka pays its medical graduates an amount of Rs 30,000 as a stipend and additionally it has recently started paying another 10,000 rupees to those interns who have joined COVID duties. Previously, the intern doctors in the State used to get Rs 20,000 which was revised last year.West Bengal Government hiked its stipend for MBBS interns in 2020 by Rs 4,425 and now the intern doctors in the State receive an amount of Rs 28,050 per month for their MBBS internship.Until July 2021, the Central Government used to pay its intern doctors an amount of Rs 23,500 per month, which has been recently revised as 26,300 in most of the Central Government institutions and hospitals across the country.However, the stipend amount was much lower in states like Rajasthan, Uttarkhand even a few days ago. Rajasthan MBBS interns were the lowest paid across the country as they were receiving an amount of Rs 7,000 (per day 233 approximately) per month. It was finally revised recently to Rs 14,000 per month after the intern doctors decided to go on strike.Uttar Pradesh MBBS interns were also one of the least paid across the country as they were getting an amount of Rs 7,500 per month (Rs 250 per day). It was revised back in January, this year to an amount of Rs 12,000 per month. The stipend of the Uttarakhand MBBS interns was revised only this week to Rs 17,000 per month after around 330 medical interns across the State raised their voice for being the lowest-paid interns (previous stipend Rs 7,500) across the country.Interns doctors in Madhya Pradesh also raised their voice seeking an increment in their stipend and finally it was revised to Rs 12,000 from Rs 10,000 per month back in June 2021.The Stipend of Tamil Nadu Intern doctors got last revised back in 2018 and they started getting Rs 20,000 per month (Previous stipend Rs 13,000) with a yearly increment of Rs 600. Currently, Tamil Nadu intern doctors are getting Rs 21,800 per month. Although they sought an increase along with the resident doctors in the state, and decided to go on a strike, the issue is yet to be resolved.Bihar Government had increased the stipend of the MBBS interns back in 2017, when it was increased from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. Pointing out the severe disparity of stipend paid to the MBBS interns at state government institutes and central government institutes around 850 interns doctors in the State had recently threatened to go on strike.Currently, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana are paying an amount of Rs 17,000 per month to its MBBS interns.MBBS interns in Andhra Pradesh got their stipend revised back in 2020 (Previous stipend Rs 15,817) and currently, they receive an amount of Rs 19589 per month.Gujarat medicos currently get an amount of Rs 18,200 per month after they got an increment of Rs 5,000 in April 2021. Employer Stipend Amount ( per month) Central Government Institutes Rs. 26,300 Serial No. Name of the State Stipend Amount ( per month) 1. Karnataka Rs 30,000 2. West Bengal Rs 28,050 3. ...

Stipend Disparities Mar MBBS education in India, Will NMC intervene?

Similar News