MBBS interns' stipend, residents' salary hike demand- Raigarh medical college doctors announce OPD boycott from September 21

Raigarh: In protest over low stipends and salaries, several MBBS interns and junior resident doctors in the state have decided to boycott Outpatient Department (OPD) services from September 21.

Seeking a stipend hike that they said has been pending for a long time, the interns and doctors submitted an application to the Chief Minister and Health Minister and announced a phased protest if their 17-point demands are not met.

The doctors have raised 17 demands, which include an increase in the stipend of MBBS interns and revision of the salaries and honorariums of postgraduate residents, bonded junior residents and senior residents, and other pending issues related to medical services and doctors.

Also read- Chhattisgarh MBBS interns demand monthly stipend hike to Rs 25,000

In August 2026, the state government assured MBBS interns that their stipend would be increased from Rs 15,900 to Rs 25,000. Following a meeting with Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal and a written assurance from the authorities, the interns called off their protest. They had stated that if the revised stipend was not released within the stipulated period, they would decide on their further course of action.

However, the doctors told Bhaskar that they had not received the revised stipend, which was expected to be implemented from September, and that no concrete order had been issued in this regard. Following this, the interns decided to resume their agitation.

Earlier, the Junior Doctors Association also submitted a memorandum in August regarding the 17-point demands.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that MBBS interns across Chhattisgarh demanded an increase in their monthly stipend from Rs 15,900 to Rs 25,000, stating that the current amount is insufficient to cover their daily expenses. The interns from medical colleges across the state, under the banner of the Indian Medical Association’s Medical Students Network (IMA-MSN) Chhattisgarh, submitted memorandums to their respective college deans seeking a stipend revision.

According to the association, the interns have been receiving the same stipend since 2023. They said the current stipend is not enough to manage accommodation, food, transport, and other basic expenses during the internship period.

Stating that concrete action has not been taken on their demands despite the assurances given earlier, as part of the renewed protest, the doctors have decided to boycott OPD services from September 21.

The doctors have further announced that emergency services will also be boycotted from September 23 if their demands are not addressed. They have warned that the protest could be intensified further. In Raigarh, doctors wore black ribbons and held a symbolic rally on Wednesday as part of their protest.

Also read- Chhattisgarh junior doctors give ultimatum on stipend hike, threaten statewide strike