Rs 15k rejoining fee, no stipend: Telangana doctors demand clear maternity leave guidelines
Hyderabad: The junior doctors in Telangana have urged the authorities to issue clear guidelines, financial security, and institutional support for the female postgraduate students availing maternity leave.
Writing to the Government authorities, including the Health Minister, and the Vice Chancellor of KNRUHS, the doctors under the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) highlighted the persistent and serious challenges faced by women postgraduates during maternity leave. Further, the doctors also pointed out in the letter how the subsequent rejoining process is causing significant academic, financial, and emotional distress among the students.
As per T-JUDA, the female postgraduates, who avail maternity leave, are suffering because there are no clearly defined or uniformly implemented university guidelines regarding maternity leave, extensions, rejoining procedures. "This absence of clarity has resulted in varied interpretations and inconsistent practices across medical colleges," mentioned the letter.
Another issue that the association pointed out is the delayed and costly rejoining process after the maternity leave period is over. "After completion of the mandatory three-month maternity leave, female postgraduates are compelled to pay a rejoining fee of ₹15,000. Even after payment, they are required to wait 15–20 days or longer for university approval. During this waiting period, they are frequently denied access to departmental, academic, and clinical facilities," TJUDA added in the letter.
The issues, including communication gaps leading to attendance shortage, financial and health-related hardships, and denial of casual leave during the extension period, were also highlighted by the doctors.
They pointed out that colleges often cite delays from the University, while communication with the university remains unclear or prolonged. According to them, during this period, the students are wrongly marked absent, leading to attendance shortages and placing them at risk of exam ineligibility.
Regarding the financial issues, the letter stated, "No stipend is paid during the extension period following maternity leave. Additionally, even after completion of the extension, stipends are delayed by 4–5 months. This financial uncertainty causes immense hardship and adversely affects the health and well-being of both mother and child."
"Female postgraduates are not permitted to avail casual leave during the extension period, even in cases of medical emergencies or child-related health concerns, despite having eligible leave balances," it further added.
Highlighting these issues, TJUDA has demanded immediate action on the following issues:
(1) The junior doctors have demanded that KNRUHS must formulate and circulate comprehensive, transparent, and uniform guidelines regarding maternity leave, rejoining procedures, extensions, and stipend disbursement to all medical colleges.
(2) They also said that the Rs 15,000 rejoining fee imposed on female postgraduates availing maternity leave must be waived with immediate effect.
(3) Apart from these, T-JUDA urged the authorities that the female postgraduates should receive regular monthly stipends during the extension period to prevent financial distress and ensure continuity of care for mother and child.
(4) Permission has also been sought to allow female postgraduates to utilize casual leave during the extension period, particularly for medical emergencies and maternal or child health–related issues.
"TJUDA strongly urges the concerned authorities to address these long-pending issues with urgency, empathy, and fairness, and to ensure that female postgraduate medical students are supported, protected, and treated with dignity during this crucial phase of their professional and personal lives. Thank you for your time, understanding, and continued support to the junior doctor community," mentioned the letter.
Earlier, the doctors under the Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (TSRDA) had raised the issue and highlighted the hurdles faced by the female postgraduate medical doctors working in government and private hospitals in Telangana during maternity leave. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the doctors have demanded urgent intervention from relevant authorities to address these issues promptly.
Doctors under the TSRDA had alleged that the lack of clear guidelines from the University and a communication gap between the University and medical colleges were resulting in confusion and inconsistent practices.
Raising the issue before the Chairperson of the State and National Commission for Women, the association had demanded that the University must establish and disseminate clear guidelines regarding maternity leave, rejoining procedures, and related processes to all colleges and students. They also demanded that the Rs 15,000 fee collected from female postgraduates on maternity leave must be waived immediately and the postgraduates should receive their stipends regularly during the extension period to prevent financial distress.
