72 resident doctors at Govt dental college Nagpur go on strike over 3 month stipend delay
Nagpur: Around Seventy-two resident doctors at the Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, suspended work to protest the non-payment of stipends for the past three months.
The postgraduate dental residents, entitled to a monthly stipend of around Rs 70,000, said the delay has caused financial hardship and affected their academic responsibilities. The strike, which included a sit-in protest near the dean’s office, disrupted routine dental services amid a heavy patient load. College authorities attributed the delay to administrative reasons and ongoing municipal elections, stating that the matter has been taken up with DMER and payments are expected soon.
According to a recent UNI report, as many as 72 resident doctors at the Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, suspended work on Monday to protest the non-payment of stipends for the past three months.
Sources have informed that the resident doctors, enrolled in the three-year postgraduate dental programme, are entitled to a monthly stipend of around Rs 70,000.
However, payments have reportedly been pending since October, forcing many doctors to struggle with basic expenses, including accommodation, mess charges and academic requirements.
Angered by repeated assurances but no concrete resolution, the residents decided to halt work, raising concerns over disruption of patient services at the government-run hospital.
On Monday morning, over 50 resident doctors were seen staging a sit-in protest in the open hall behind the dean’s office.
The protest coincided with a heavy patient load on the first working day of the week, and the absence of resident doctors reportedly affected routine dental services.
Responding to the issue, Dean Dr. Mangesh Fadnavis said that the matter is being regularly followed up with the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and that a formal proposal has already been submitted.
He attributed the delay to administrative reasons, including the ongoing municipal election process and expressed hope that the pending stipends would be credited by next week.
Meanwhile, the resident doctors have demanded immediate disbursal of their dues, stating that prolonged delays are affecting both their livelihood and academic responsibilities.
