Ahmedabad dental interns go on strike over lack of hostel accommodation

Ahmedabad: Protesting against the lack of hostel accommodation, intern doctors at Government Dental College and Hospital, Asarwa boycotted work and staged a strike demanding hostel accommodation during their internship period.

Following their protest, the academic and hospital work were disrupted. The protest began three days ago after the college administration asked interns staying in the hostel to vacate their rooms.

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As per a TOI news report, Dental students are required to complete a four-year academic programme followed by a year-long internship. According to existing rules, hostel facilities are not provided to students during their internship period. Based on this regulation, the college administration recently instructed intern doctors who were staying in the hostel to vacate their rooms.

However, the interns have opposed the move and launched a strike, demanding that they be allowed to stay in the hostel during their internship. As part of the protest, they stopped performing their internship duties, which has affected routine academic and hospital activities at the institution.

TOI sources said that the students are protesting because they believe accommodation should be provided during the internship period. The strike raised concerns within the college administration, as the absence of interns could affect daily operations.

On the other hand, college authorities maintained that the decision is in line with existing rules. Officials stated that "Once students complete their four years of academic study, they are required to vacate the hostel so that rooms can be allocated to newly admitted students, especially due to limited hostel capacity."

Regarding the issue of stipend payments, authorities clarified that "Interns start receiving their stipend only after their internship officially begins." They also said that no student's stipend or scholarship has been withheld.

The administration added that discussions are currently underway with the students to resolve the issue and persuade them to resume their internship duties as soon as possible.

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