DNB medicos at Barmer Medical College on pen down strike over pending stipend
Barmer: The PG resident doctors of Barmer Medical College have called for a pen-down strike due to the non-payment of the pending stipend. The doctors have not received their stipend for the last 3 months.
Talking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Shyama Singh, President of the Barmer Association of Resident Doctors stated, “Many of us PG residents are pursuing DNB courses in the college and we joined on 2023 October. But it took months to grant us the first stipend and we got it on 17th May 2024. The last stipend we got was on 23rd October but it was for the previous three months. We have decided to go on an indefinite strike till our stipend is disbursed.”
“We get a stipend of Rs 58000 per month and it becomes extremely difficult to provide for our family. We are almost 14 PG resident doctors and during the pen-down strike, we would boycott all elective duties, OPD duties, and emergency duties,” added the doctor.
Barmer Association of Resident Doctors has submitted a letter to the principal controller GMC Barmer regarding the strike. The letter stated, “We express our deep dissatisfaction regarding non-payment of our stipend since last 3 months of batch 2022 and 2023, we have been doing residency for the last one and half years but till now we have not gotten our stipend on time and due to this, we all are facing severe financial crisis, mental stress and after all numerous efforts, we all academic residents have decided to go on a pen-down strike."
While commenting on the issue, the State President of United Doctors’ Front, Rajasthan branch Dr Bharat Prateek told Medical Dialogues, “The doctors have not received their stipend for the last three months. For the last one and a half years, there has been no consistency in the timely disbursement of the stipend. It takes almost 6 months to pay them the first stipend. The doctors are all MD doctors and many of them are responsible for providing for their family. No doctor wants to create any inconvenience for the patients but they are left with no choice as they are under financial strain.”
Dr Lakshya Mittal, National President of UDF stated, “Local doctors and experts highlight that being a border district, Barmer already suffers from a lack of medical infrastructure. Delayed stipends for doctors are further aggravating the existing challenges in the region. Resident doctors are the backbone of the healthcare system. Ignoring their problems is not only a violation of their rights but also detrimental to the state’s healthcare framework.
The association further pointed out, “The delay in stipends has caused severe financial distress for the resident doctors, diverting their focus from patient care and clinical duties. As a result, they have resorted to a protest, which has started affecting healthcare services directly.” “Is Barmer being overlooked because of its proximity to the Indo-Pak border? The government must take swift action to resolve the issues faced by Barmer’s resident doctors and ensure their rightful support,” the association further added.
UDF has appealed to the Rajasthan government and the Department of Medical Education, Rajasthan to address the issue promptly. The organization demands immediate payment of the pending stipends to Barmer’s resident doctors and steps to ensure such delays do not occur in the future.
