No pay for over 300 MBBS interns of Uttarakhand for past 1.5 month amid COVID duty

Written by Sanchari Chattopadhyay Published On 2021-06-20T10:15:59+05:30 | Updated On 20 Aug 2021 3:02 PM IST

No pay for over 300 MBBS interns of Uttarakhand for past 1.5 month amid COVID duty

Dehradun: Not paid for the past one and a half month amid Covid-19 duty, over 300 MBBS interns of three government medical colleges of Uttarakhand recently held a candle march as a symbolic protest against the lowest monthly stipend for medical interns in India, demanding to raise it from Rs 7500.

The stipend was revised last in the year 2011 and increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 7,500.

Drawing the attention of the Government towards the lowest amount of monthly stipend in the country, 194 medicos of Doon Medical College, 97 from Srinagar and 99 of Dr Susheela Tiwari Government Medical College and Hospital, Haldwani raised objections, calling the stipend of Rs 250 per day too less and meagre.

Disappointed over the stark difference, the medical interns pointed out that in Uttar Pradesh, the medical interns are paid Rs 12,500 per month, in Tamil Nadu and Telangana they get Rs 20,000, in Haryana and Himachal the stipend is Rs 17,000 while All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi pays their interns Rs 28,000 per month as stipend but medical interns in Uttarakhand gets the lowest amount despite extending services amid the ongoing pandemic.

Also Read:Resident doctors in Punjab demand fee waiver, stipend hike, write to CM

Commenting on the issue, Dr. Ashtha Gupta, who is currently serving at the Covid wards of Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Government Institute of Medical Science & Research told The New Indian Express, "We do not have any issue working as that is our job. But then Rs 7,500 is too less, in fact, the amount is lowest in the entire country. We have been requesting and earlier our senior did to increase the stipend according to central government institutions."

Demanding an immediate stipend hike the interns of three medical colleges have recently organized a candle march at their respective government medical colleges.

"This is a symbolic reminder to the government to consider our request. We are not going to stop work or treating patients as that is our duty. But the government must understand that we are human beings and our request is justifiable", said Dr. Akshat Kumar Thapa, an intern from Doon Medical College.

Most of the intern doctors have raised the issue through their social media handles.

One of the intern doctors posted, " From 2011, medical interns in UTTARAKHAND have been paid a stipend of Rs 7500/month, which is about Ra250/day lowest in India. We demand a valid stipend to Intern Doctors."

Another stated, "We medicos will no longer tolerate the arrogance of Uttarakhand government, first 4lakh +fees per year for government medical college and now no increment in the stipend of interns who have dedicated themselves to the duty of mankind is intolerable."

We medicos will no longer tolerate the arrogance of Uttarakhand government , first 4lakh +fees per year for government medical college.

And now no increment in the stipend of interns who have dedicated themselves to duty of mankind is intolerable.#we_demand_respected_stipend
— Shubham rawat (@Shubham06012157) June 19, 2021

However, bringing a ray of hope for the protesting medicos, the officials of the state government have recently confirmed that a proposal to increase the stipend has already been submitted for the consideration of the higher authorities, reports the daily.

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Superintendent of Doon Medical College Dr. Krishna Pant stated, "The issue has been raised by the interns and they have been working really hard in these pandemic times. All I can say is I hope they get some incentive for their hard work."

stipend hikegovernment medical collegeDoon Medical Collegemedical internscandle marchprotestuttarakhandcovidmbbs

Source : with inputs

Sanchari Chattopadhyay

Sanchari Chattopadhyay has pursued her M.A in English and Culture Studies from the University of Burdwan, West Bengal. She likes observing cultural specificities and exploring new places.