Uttarakhand MBBS Interns begin indefinite strike, demand stipend hike from Rs 17k to Rs 30k

Dehradun: MBBS interns at government medical colleges across Uttarakhand have started an indefinite strike, demanding an increase in their monthly stipend from Rs 17,000 to Rs 30,000.

Around 600 MBBS interns are participating in the protest, which is being held at Government Medical College, Haldwani; Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Government Institute of Medical and Research, Srinagar; Government Doon Medical College; and Soban Singh Jeena Government Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Almora.

The interns, protesting under the banner “Voice of Interns – Uttarakhand”, stopped attending OPD and ward duties from Monday. However, interns posted in emergency services continued to attend to patients.

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As per latest media report by TOI, the protesting interns at Government Doon Medical College marched from the hospital’s OPD building to the emergency block, carrying placards and raising slogans against what they described as exploitation. The interns said they were only demanding their rightful stipend and were not asking for any favour.

The interns have also submitted a memorandum to Uttarakhand Medical Health and Family Welfare Minister Subodh Uniyal, comparing their stipend with the amounts paid to MBBS interns in other states.

According to the interns, several states provide more than Rs 25,000 per month, while the stipend is over Rs 44,000 in Odisha and West Bengal pointing out that their current stipend is not the same as being provided in other states. 

The group said it had been waiting for a response from the state government since September 3. With no response from the government, the interns decided to launch the strike on Monday.

The stipend issue among medical interns has also triggered protests in other parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. The issue gained further attention after the Uttar Pradesh government announced an increase in the monthly stipend for MBBS interns from Rs 12,000 to Rs 25,000

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that MBBS and BDS interns at government medical and dental colleges across Jammu and Kashmir began a strike on August 31, demanding an increase in their monthly stipend. The protest continues, with the interns seeking a revision of the existing stipend.

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