Maha Resident doctors demand Stipend regularisation, proper hostel accommodation, to go on Indefinite Strike from Feb 7

Mumbai: The resident doctors across the government medical colleges in Maharashtra have threatened to go on an indefinite strike starting from February 07, 2024, if their demands regarding hostel accommodation and regularisation of stipend are not met.

Writing to the Minister of Medical Education, Maharashtra, the Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Wednesday highlighted that they have written 28 letters to the medical education department. However, despite the assurance from the Government authorities, the issues raised by the resident doctors have not been addressed yet, mentioned the association.

"Administration and Government have been giving us Verbal assurances for a very long time, we have waited for long but our grievances haven't been addressed. If our above Demands are not met then all the resident doctors of Maharashtra will go on a Pan Maharashtra indefinite strike starting from 7th February 2024, 5pm," Dr Abhijit Helge, the president of Central MARD informed Medical Dialogues.

Expressing that the resident doctors in Maharashtra are "disappointed to the core with the irresponsible, apathetic and indolent approach of the Government towards its resident doctors", the association pointed out that despite the resident doctors being the first line of defence in a tertiary healthcare institute, the mistreatment towards them has been "astonishingly cruel".

Also Read: Strike at GMCH to continue, Central MARD to join if no action is taken

Referring to the state of healthcare in Maharashtra, the association highlighted that in every medical college of the State, there is a significant shortage of hostel premises and the residents have been living in severely compromised manner. There is no hostel accommodation for Senior Residents at most of the medical colleges in the State, Central MARD stated in the recent letter addressed to the Medical Education Minister.

Besides, the association also claimed that almost across all the medical colleges, Residents are never paid their stipend on time. Referring to this, the association mentioned in the letter, "Nonpayment of stipend for multiple months is the inhuman treatment that resident doctors face every month. Whenever the stipend is disbursed it is done in a highly irregular manner leading to financial insecurity to the resident doctors."

"Despite being the best performing state financially with one of the highest costs of living in multiple cities, residents of the state are paid far less stipend than countless number of other states in the country," it further added.

The association pointed out that previously it called off a strike on January 3rd, 2023 after the assurances were given that their demands would be resolved. However, even after 393 days, their problems still exist rather in a far more severe form. Further, the association claimed that till date, Central MARD has written 28 letters with follow-ups with administrative and ministerial levels. However, despite repeated representations, it has received nothing but "Dry verbal assurances".

In the letter, the association also referred to the meeting with the Minister for Medical Education Hasan Mushrif on 4th October, 2023. As per the association, despite the verbal assurance from the Minister, no problem has been solved yet.

Threatening to go on strike, the association mentioned in the letter, "We the residents of state of Maharashtra, due to prolonged disregard to our problems by the authority are left with no choice but to go on a PAN Maharashtra strike if our issues are not resolved."

The demands of the association are- the availability of adequate hostel accommodation for Junior and Senior Resident doctors, payment of stipend to resident doctors' bank accounts by 10th of every month with clearance of outstanding stipend till date, and payment of stipend at the same scale as that of Central Institutes. 

"We have followed up on the above issues at every level possible for more than a year with no solution till date. If our above Demands are not met then all the resident doctors of Maharashtra will go on a Pan Maharashtra indefinite strike starting from 7th February 2024, 5pm," the association mentioned in the letter, apologising in advance for the hampered patient care during the strike.

However, the association has assured that all emergency services will remain functional during the strike. It further mentioned, "...the responsibility of any hampered patient care will solely lie upon the Government."

Also Read: Stipend Hike: Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors to Get Rs 85,000, Effective from Current Batch