Uttarakhand doctors' strike continues- MBBS interns demand Rs 30,000 stipend, PG residents Rs 1 lakh per month
Dehradun: The indefinite strike by MBBS interns and resident doctors across Uttarakhand reportedly entered its fifth day on September 11, with the protesting doctors demanding an increase in their monthly stipends.
They are seeking Rs 30,000 for MBBS interns, Rs 90,000 and upwards, depending on the year, for PG doctors, and Rs 1 lakh for senior resident doctors.
The protesting interns and doctors have been voicing their concern for a long time claiming that their current stipend is extremely low considering their responsibilities, workload and long duty hours. They said they are not seeking any special facilities but fair remuneration.
At present, MBBS interns receive Rs 17,000 per month and are demanding an increase to Rs 30,000. Resident doctors receive between Rs 69,820 and Rs 71,257 per month and have demanded a stipend of Rs 1 lakh.
The doctors had initially started wearing black ribbons from September 3 to press for their demands. However, after receiving no concrete action from the government despite repeated representations to the concerned authorities, they decided to intensify the protest.
Also read- Uttarakhand MBBS Interns begin indefinite strike, demand stipend hike from Rs 17k to Rs 30k
The interns and resident doctors began an indefinite strike for the stipend enhancement on September 7, 2026. The protests are being held at several government medical colleges across Uttarakhand.
The interns are on strike at Government Medical College, Haldwani; Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Government Institute of Medical and Research, Srinagar; Government Doon Medical College, Dehradun; and Soban Singh Jeena Government Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Almora.
Meanwhile, resident doctors are protesting at Government Medical College, Dehradun; Government Medical College, Haldwani; Government Medical College, Srinagar; and Government Medical College, Pauri.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the interns had raised concerns over the difference in stipends between Uttarakhand and other states. They pointed out that interns in several states receive more than Rs 25,000 per month, while the stipend is over Rs 44,000 in Odisha and West Bengal.
The interns said they had been waiting for a response from the state government since September 3. However, with no response received, they decided to begin their strike on Monday.
At the same time, the resident doctors have highlighted that their stipend is lower compared to that of their counterparts in several other states and stated that they first raised the issue with the authorities in March but decided to come out publicly in August after receiving no concrete solution.
Earlier, on September 5, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) India wrote to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister requesting for an increase in the monthly stipend of resident doctors to a minimum of Rs 1 lakh.
As per IANS report, the junior doctors and interns have withdrawn from OPD and regular duties, while senior doctors and other staff have been deployed in OPDs and various wards. Meanwhile, the intern doctors have warned that the protest will continue until their demands are met.
TOI reported that the protest also intensified in different parts of Uttarakhand, with doctors and medical students holding demonstrations and rallies in Haldwani, Dehradun and Almora. In Haldwani, protesting medicos tried to meet the Chief Minister during his visit to the city. Videos shared on social media showed police personnel stopping the protesters from meeting him. In Dehradun, protesting doctors and students took out a rally from the OPD block of Doon Hospital. They marched towards Clock Tower and Lansdowne Chowk before returning to the hospital. Similarly, students of Government Medical College, Almora, marched from Gandhi Park to Shikhar Tiraha while raising their demand for higher stipends.
Meanwhile, Government Medical College Haldwani principal Dr Ajay Arya said an agreement had been reached to limit future demonstrations to two hours. The arrangement will come into effect from Friday.
Director of Medical Education Dr Ashutosh Sayana said a proposal has been sent to the state secretariat for increasing the stipends of medical trainees and doctors.
