MBBS Interns in Bihar demand Stipend Hike, Close OPD Services

Patna: Protesting against the meagre salary of Rs 500 per day, around 1000 MBBS interns belonging to nine Government medical colleges in Bihar have gone into strike from Monday as they are claiming that their salary is the "minimum wage of a manual labourer".

Demanding a hike of stipend from Rs 15,000 per month to a minimum Rs 35,000, the medicos in Bihar have started boycotting OPD services in their respective institutes.

OPD services have reportedly been forcefully closed at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Bhagalpur's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JLNMCH), Muzaffarpur's Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH), and the Vardhaman Institute of Medical Sciences, Pawapuri in Nalanda district.

However, in case of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), the OPD services were not disrupted since the medicos at the institute opted for a peaceful protest.

Meanwhile, the interns have further threatened the authorities to intensify their protest if the Government does not listen to their demands. They are determined to continue with the strike until the Government takes a call in this regard, adds HT. The protesting interns in Bihar have received support from the Junior Doctors Association of NMCH.

Also Read: Stipend Hike: Bihar MBBS Interns withdraw strike after authorities assurance

This is not the first time that the MBBS interns in Bihar are demanding a stipend hike. Medical Dialogues had reported last year that the MBBS interns belonging to the Government medical institutes in Bihar had initiated a strike demanding a hike in their monthly stipend. It was their demand that their stipend becomes at part with their counterparts at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS).

Last year around 900 MBBS students had taken part in the strike and it had affected the hospital service severely, including outdoor patient department (OPD) and laboratory investigations in the colleges.

Back then as well, the medicos had been demanding a raise in their monthly stipend from Rs 15,000 to Rs 35,000. However, the medicos finally rejoined their duties last year, after they received verbal assurance from the officials in the State Health Department. At that time, the Health Department officials had assured them to consider the issue sympathetically.

However, despite such an assurance, the medicos are still at the same situation and receiving a monthly salary of Rs 15,000. While the Interns doctors belonging to Government medical colleges in the State continue receiving Rs 500 per day, their batchmates belonging to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) are receiving Rs 26,000 per month.

Therefore, once again opting for the path of protest, the MBBS students belonging to 2017 batch, who are now serving as MBBS interns, along with their juniors have given a call for boycotting the OPD services across the State from Monday.

While commenting on the matter, a 2017 batch MBBS student belonging to Patna based Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) told Hindustan Times, "We are hopeful that our deputy chief minister will be considerate enough to heed to our demands."

"Our internship allowance was last revised in April 2017. Despite various circulars issued by the state health department to revise our stipend every three years, it has not been revised for the last five years now. To date, we get less than the students doing a graduate internship in the veterinary programme in our state," she added.

Claiming that the MBBS interns in other states much higher salary, a medico belonging to NMCH added, "MBBS interns get much more than us in our neighbouring states like Jharkhand, where they are paid a monthly stipend of ₹24,000, West Bengal ₹28,000 and Assam ₹31,000."