ESIC Medical College Patna FMG Interns awaiting stipend for 8 months

Patna: Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) interns at ESIC Medical College, Bhita, Patna have been struggling with an eight-month delay in stipend payments, despite repeated appeals to authorities.

The interns, who have been awaiting their stipends since July 2024, have yet to receive their entitled amount of Rs. 30,070 per month, as per the memorandum issued by the Ministry of Labour and Government of India on October 30, 2024.

With their internship period set to conclude by July 2025, these doctors are facing severe financial strain due to the non-payment of their dues. In response, 44 affected interns have filed a petition in the Patna High Court, seeking intervention against both the Union government and the medical college administration.

The association pointed out that the National Medical Commission in 2022 also clarified that the stipend and other facilities to FMGs should be extended equivalent to Indian Medical Graduates being trained at Government Medical colleges as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/ University or State. However, they have not yet received any payment for their services.

One of the interns of ESIC MC, on the condition of anonymity, told Medical Dialogues, “We came to serve in ESIC Medical College, Patna through BCMR and we have been started discharging and doing the assigned works to them regularly and sincerely as their internship duties as per agreement. The college comes under labour ministry and it is ironic that instead of getting paid, we are compelled to offer free labour. 4 months ago, the labour minister visited our campus and assured us that the issues would be resolved, even the dean gave similar assurances but we haven’t received out stipend yet. We have been financially and mentally drained. Even after completing our MBBS, we are unable to take care of our finances, it is highly disappointing to rely on our parents at this age.”

Previously, in a letter to, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, union cabinet Minister Ministry of Labour and Employment, the interns stated, “We work in ESIC under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The concept of ESIC is based on a very basic thought process that in the near future we shall be able to alleviate the woes and poverty of poor Labour workers by providing social security and healthcare. Every doctor working in ESIC hospitals including FMG interns is dedicated to fulfilling this social demand. Sir, we wish ESIC authority imbibes the same thoughtfulness and sensitivity while paying our stipend in a regular and faster manner to secure our own social security also.”

In 2024, the ESIC headquarters revised the stipend for MBBS interns from Rs. 26,300 to Rs. 30,070. However, the FMG interns claim that despite this official revision, they have not received any payments for the last several months. The continued delay has led to mounting frustration among the interns, who argue that such financial negligence hampers their ability to complete their training smoothly.

ESIC interns have been staging protests demanding the payment of stipends but no progress has been made in this regard yet. On 19.05.22 an order issued by the National Medical Commission, New Delli clarified that the stipend and other facilities FMG should be extended equivalent to India Medical Graduates. On 15.09.23 the apex court also directed the medical colleges to pay the FMGs interns equivalent to Indian medical graduates. Petitioners were selected to undergo an internship programme and they were allotted ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Bihta, Patna on 03.05.2024. All the petitioners-interns submitted then joining ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Bihta, Patna started discharging their internship duties in July 2024.

On 30.10 2024 a memo was issued by the Deputy Director, ESIC, New Delhi for making payment of a monthly stipend amount of Rs.30,070 for Medical (MBBS) interns in ESIC institutions. Interns have been discharging their duties as interns since July 2024 but they are not being paid the stipend amount as interns requested to the Dean, ESIC College & Hospital, Bihar, Pama in this regard.

On 21.11.2024, interns even sent their representation to the Hon'ble Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, requesting them to intervene in the matter and direct the authority/college concern to make payment of their due as well as current stipend amount due since July 2024 from which they are discharging their as interns. On 20.12.2024, a legal notice was also sent to the Dean, ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Bihta, Patna on behalf of the petitioners’ interns, requesting to make payment of their stipend amount.

Addressing the issue, the national social media secretary of the United Doctors Front (UDF), Dr Bhanu Kumar wrote on X: “ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Bihta, Patna interns struggle as stipends remain unpaid since July 2024! Despite repeated appeals, no resolution is in sight!”