Private medical colleges in Karnataka told to pay stipend to medicos at par with the government

The minister is mulling over to take this serious issue to the doors of the Medical Council of India (MCI) while on the other side, the state had just hiked the stipend of Resident doctors, postgraduate students and house surgeons in Karnataka, as a resolution to their long-standing demand.

For interns, the government hiked the stipend to Rs 30,000. For PG medical students of 1-3 years, to Rs 45,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 55,000 respectively. The authorities also hiked the stipends for doctors doing their super-speciality. While super-speciality doctors with an experience of one year will be paid ₹60,000, those with two and three years of experience will be paid ₹65,000 and ₹70,000 respectively.

The decision is pursuant to the series of protests observed by the medicos recently demanding pay hike citing that the state has the highest fees yet the lowest stipend. Medical Dialogues had reported about the government's decision earlier. The stipends had been last revised in 2015, and doctors complained that their stipends were far lower than their counterparts in other states.

Read Also: Karnataka Hikes Stipend Of Resident Doctors After Backlash From Medical Fraternity

Informing about the development, an official from the ministry of Department of Medical Education told Mirror, "The doctors and post graduates (PGs) have kept a valid demand and Dr K Sudhakar, minister for medical education, has promised them that there will be a hike. Now that these doctors are working extra hours without any leaves, it is time that we give them a considerable stipend. The process was kept in front of the Chief Minister and he signed it without any hesitation."

With the stipend being revised, the medicos many of whom are on the frontlines of battling the COVID 19 outbreak, have something to cheer about.

However, the situation is reportedly not the same in private medical institutions in the state as the medicos there, are not receiving the stipend as par with the government medical colleges; as ruled.

According to a recent report by the Deccan Herald, the medical education minister recently came across such complaints by the students. Taking the matter into urgent consideration, he has warned action against private medical colleges if they do not pay stipends to students at par with what the government paid.

"We did this despite economic difficulty as a token of gratitude," he said. "Private colleges have to just follow the kind of stipend the government is giving. This is the MCI guideline," he said. "But I am told that students haven't been paid since 18 months. I want to help them. We will solve this issue," he added.

"I'm calling for a meeting with the management (of the institution). We will have to raise it with the Medical Council of India (MCI) also. It's a serious issue, it's an offence and inhuman. We will write to the MCI and take strict disciplinary action," the minister stated.