MBBS interns of Government Medical College, Patiala, stage protest demanding hike in stipend
Patiala, July 15
Over 350 MBBS interns of Government Medical College, Patiala, staged a protest on Monday demanding a hike in stipend from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,070, on par with the central institution.
The protesting students said that the stipend of government medical colleges across the state were abysmally low.
During the protest, the doctors lamented that even unskilled workers earn more than medical graduates in the state. “We find it difficult to meet our accommodation and food expenses,” said an intern.
Expressing their grievances over the disparity, another intern stated that, “We are doing almost the same amount of work as first-year junior residents but are compensated with a mere Rs 15,000 for 12-hour shifts.”
The tuition fee for the full five-year course in government-run medical colleges was increased during the previous Congress government in 2020, from Rs 4.4 lakh to Rs 7.8 lakh, which is now Rs 9.05 lakh.
The hospital authorities maintained that medical services were not hit by the protest and the matter was being looked into.
