Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences MBBS Interns move NMC over Non-payment of stipend, unreasonable Rules

Lucknow: Alleging non-payment of stipend and highlighting some unreasonable rules imposed by the institute, the MBBS interns of Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) recently reached out to the National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking its intervention.

The students alleged that they are not receiving any stipend despite working for long hours as MBBS interns. They further claimed that they are not allowed to attend group meetings, attend religious prayers, or eat outside food. According to students, hefty fees were being charged for the registration of interns and there were instances of shocking punishment rules for latecomers to the college.

Protesting against these rules and the issue of non-payment of stipend, the medicos blocked the college gate yesterday. However, sources at the medical college informed Medical Dialogues on the condition of anonymity that the college authorities have informed that they would not be able to provide them stipend and the rules would also remain in place.

Writing to NMC on 23.04.2024, these MBBS interns, who are the 2019-2020 batch, referred to clause 3 of schedule IV of NMC which states that every student should be paid a certain amount of stipend, as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/University/state.

They also referred to the NMC notice through which the Commission had directed all the institutes to update the details of stipend paid to interns monthly paid on their official website.

Despite such rules, the institute was not paying them any stipend, alleged the students. Last month, these students had written to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh alleging that they were not getting any stipend and that the institute was charging hefty security deposit for providing them registration for the internship.

In the recent letter to the NMC, the interns also highlighted several other issues such as irrelevant and unjustified restriction imposed in the internship course.

They alleged that no group meetings, gatherings were allowed in hostel rooms/hostel/institute premises. There was a ban on religious prayer or worship of meeting in any form inside room or hostel. Food or any other parcel inside the hostel was not allowed.

Further, the students were not allowed to get involved in any parties, birthday celebration of any sort inside the hostel room or institute campus. They also informed that a gate pass signed by warden was required for movement outside the hotel or institute, and the UG/PG students and MBBS interns were required to return to the hostel as per the timings notified from time to time.

One of the rules, as highlighted by the students, was that "If on case students reach late to college, strict actions are taken against them like students are forced to shave off their head and parents are called for the act and false allegations are imposed."

The students also said that even though the NMC rules do not make it mandatory for the medical students to stay in the college hostel during internship, the management of PIMS were allegedly forcing them to stay in the hostel and were charging them higher amount for the same. Allegedly, the interns were only allowed to register by the college authorities after signing the application of fee.

Also Read: Issue of non-payment of stipends to MBBS interns to be considered by SC