8000 doctors on strike in MP over stipend revision

Bhopal: Nearly 8,000 junior resident doctors, senior residents and interns are participating in a protest against the pending revision of stipends.

Due to the ongoing protest, medical services at government-run hospitals across Madhya Pradesh have been largely affected today. 

The state-wide protest has been called by the Junior Doctors Association (JUDA). According to JUDA, the CPI-based stipend revision was to be implemented from April 1, 2025, as per a government order, but it has not been enforced despite repeated representations.

IANS sources said that a delegation from the Junior Doctors Association is expected to meet Rajendra Shukla, who oversees the state’s health and medical education departments, during his visit to Jabalpur to discuss the issue.

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Medical experts note that these doctors form the backbone of medical colleges. They handle nearly 70 per cent of the workload in these institutions and are responsible for treating and monitoring a large number of patients.

Dr Brijendra, a resident doctor at Gandhi Medical College, said that the revision was mandated under a state government order issued on June 7, 2021.

"Several letters have been sent to the deans of all medical colleges in the state and to the HODs (Heads of Departments) of all departments. However, emergency services will continue as usual to ensure that critical patients do not face any inconvenience," Dr Brijendra told IANS.

The issue dates back to commitments made after the 2021 strike. In 2021, when the doctors went on strike, the stipend was only Rs 55,000. After the protest, the government increased it to Rs 65,000 and assured that the stipend would be revised every year in April based on the Consumer Price Index. However, the revision due in April 2025 was never implemented.

Despite repeatedly writing letters to the minister and the administration, no action was taken. After waiting for nearly a year, the doctors said they had no option but to begin protests.

Under the strike plan as reported by NDTV, doctors will continue emergency services and treat critically ill patients, but will boycott all elective services, including outpatient departments and routine surgeries. 

The doctors said that if the government makes a clear decision soon, the strike can be called off. However, if their demands remain unaddressed, the agitation may intensify across medical colleges in the state.

Dr Shubanshu Sharma, Vice President, JUDA told Medical Dialogues, "We met Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Dr Rajendra Shukla, who assured us that our demands would be addressed within three to four days. Following the meeting and intervention by the Health Commissioner, we decided to give the government four days’ time. During this period, we will continue protest by wearing black bands. If no decision is taken within four days, We will launch a full-fledged strike and shut down services."

Speaking to NDTV, Dr Yashveer Gurjar, Vice President of the Junior Doctors Association Bhopal, said, "The protest has strong support across all government medical colleges. The dialogue is ongoing, but gradually everyone will join. This movement will reach a much higher level. Government medical colleges in Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa, Sagar and Khandwa are all united. We are one organisation, and everyone's voice is together."

The protest disrupted outpatient department (OPD) services in several hospitals, forcing many patients and their attendants to return without consultation or the medicines required for treatment.

The strike also affected several specialised services, including the Prevention of Parent-To-Child Transmission (PPTCT) counselling and testing centre, the fertility clinic, the ANC room, and other facilities in the gynaecology department of Gandhi Medical College.

OPD services were hit not only at Gandhi Medical College but also in hospitals across districts such as Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa and Gwalior.

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