Not paid salaries, dental college docs stage protest

After a wait of three months without their salaries and stipends, junior resident doctors and internship graduates have initiated an indefinite strike at the Government Dental College and Hospital here to press the government to release the funds.

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Apart from the interns and JRs, the mess workers at the college hostels have also not received their salaries for the past three months. Even the bills for medical treatment and withdrawals from the Provident Fund of the employees have not been cleared since March 31.

Dr Karan Mittal, a protesting junior resident doctor, said, “JRs and interns in Punjab have been demanding an increase in their salaries for a long time. However, we are demanding that at least what we are entitled to should be given to us.” The interns at Government Medical and Dental Colleges in Punjab receive a monthly stipend of Rs 15,000, while Junior Resident Doctors-cum Postgraduate students are paid nearly Rs 65,000 per month.

Medical graduates have to undergo a six-month mandatory internship programme. They are given a stipend in lieu of the services they offer at the hospital during the six-month period. Similarly, postgraduate students also work as junior resident doctors during their postgraduate degree, for which they are paid a monthly salary.

Dr Priya Nanda, another JR doctor, said, “JRs and interns are the face of government medical services, as we work day and night in the care of patients.” The JRs said that their families think that since they are being paid by the government, they don’t need money. “But they don’t know that we’ve been without money for the last three months. We had hoped that this salary would help us manage our expenses and enable us to help our families a bit,” said another JR.

Coming out in support of the protesting students, Jagdish Thakur, general secretary of the Punjab State Ministerial Staff Workers Union, said, “Previous governments used to claim that the treasury is empty. But this government claims that it’s full to the brim and still doesn’t pay its employees.” Thakur said the government must cut its expenses on ads and inaugural events and pay salaries.

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