Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 31 (ANI): MBBS interns of Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu and its associated hospitals staged a peaceful protest on Monday, demanding a hike in their monthly stipend.
The protest is part of a pan-Jammu and Kashmir agitation by MBBS interns, supported by BDS interns and resident doctors’ associations. The agitation is being held across medical colleges and hospitals in the Union Territory.
A protesting student said that MBBS interns are seeking a long-pending revision of their stipend, which currently stands at Rs 12,300 per month and has remained unchanged since 2019.
“They are seeking a long-overdue hike in the monthly stipend paid to MBBS interns. The current stipend of Rs 12,300 per month has remained unchanged since 2019, nearly seven years, despite steep rises in the cost of living, accommodation, food, transport and other essential expenses,” the protester said.
The student said interns perform the same clinical duties and work similar long hours, including night duties, emergencies, wards, OPDs and ICUs, as interns in other states, where they receive substantially higher stipends.
“In some states, the stipend is as high as approximately Rs 43,000-Rs 44,000 per month, nearly 350 per cent higher than what is paid in Jammu and Kashmir, which currently stands among the lowest in the country,” the student said.
The protesting interns also pointed out that a government-constituted committee had earlier recommended a significant upward revision in the stipend, but the matter remains pending.
“Prolonged inaction and the apparent deaf ears of the authorities have left us with no alternative but to withdraw from routine duties and stage this peaceful protest until a formal order revising the stipend is issued,” the student said.
The interns said they did not intend to disrupt healthcare services and acknowledged their role in patient care at government hospitals.
“We wish to place on record that we do not desire any disruption in the delivery of healthcare services to patients. Interns form a vital pillar of clinical care in government hospitals,” the student said.
They said the protest was being held after repeated representations, memoranda and appeals over the years failed to yield a tangible outcome.
“Our demand is for fair compensation, dignity and recognition of the essential services we render during the compulsory one-year internship,” the student added. (ANI)
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