Delay in stipend disbursement: Telangana Doctors Demand Timely Stipend, approach DME
Hyderabad: Telangana Junior doctors recently approached the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) Dr. B Triveni over the issue of pending stipend to resident doctors. The doctors under the Telangana Junior Doctors' Association (TJUDA) have alleged that first-year PG students have not received their stipend since September.
The issue is not only limited to the first-year PG medicos, but allegedly even other students including the senior resident doctors are yet to receive their stipend for December.
This is not the first time that the junior doctors in Telangana have approached the Government authorities over the issue of pending stipend. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that last year in December, TJUDA planned to go on strike demanding their stipend. As part of the strike, the doctors intended to refuse to perform elective OP duties at government hospitals in the state.
However, at that time, the association called off their proposed strike after receiving assurance from Health Minister Raja Narasimha. At that time, the Minister had promised that the stipends for the junior and senior resident doctors would be paid on time by the 15th of each month. During the meeting with the Minister, DME, JUDA and SRDA, several discussions were conducted to address the concerns of the doctors.
As per the latest media report by Deccan Chronicle, despite the promise from the Health Minister, the situation has not improved at all. Commenting on the same, a junior doctor told DC, "This promise has fallen flat."
Meanwhile, a doctor from Osmania Medical College said that only a handful of PH students received their stipends on Thursday. "We submitted our representation to Dr. Triveni, who informed us that they were working on an early disbursement of the stipend amount," she added.
On Wednesday JUDA met DME regarding the stipends. Writing to the DME, the association mentioned in a letter, "We are writing to highlight a pressing concern regarding the delay in stipend disbursement for junior residents. First-year PG students have not received stipend for the past four months, and other PGs have two months' stipends pending. This delay is causing financial strain and distress."
"We recall the Health Minister's assurance of establishing a green channel for disbursement by the 15th of every month. Your prompt attention to this matter is crucial to alleviate the financial burden on our dedicated junior residents," further added the letter by T JUDA.
More than 12,000 junior doctors, including house surgeons, senior residents, and first, second and third year PG students are in government medical colleges in Telangana. PG doctors receive a monthly stipend in between Rs 58,300 and Rs 65,000 and house surgeons get around Rs 25,900 per month.
