Intern doctors protest fee hike, low stipend in Faridkot

Over 400 medical students, including interns and residents of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH), Faridkot, staged a peaceful rally today to protest the rising fee structure and stagnant stipends.

The protest began at the college gate and moved towards the GGS Hospital Emergency wing. Students carried banners and raised slogans to highlight what they termed as "blatant injustice" regarding the disproportionate hike in fees and inadequate financial support for interns.

According to the protesting students, the annual tuition fee for the MBBS course has surged from ₹80,000 to ₹1.8 lakh in recent years. However, the monthly stipend for intern doctors remains unchanged at ₹15,000 — amounting to merely ₹500 per day — despite the demanding workload they endure.

“High Fees, Low Stipend” and “We Are Doctors, Not Labourers” were among the prominent slogans chanted during the rally. Students argued that the stipend is grossly inadequate, especially when compared to other states such as Chandigarh, Haryana and Delhi, where the stipend averages ₹30,000 per month and overall course fees are more reasonable — around ₹2.5 lakhs for the entire duration.

The rally was primarily organised by the 2020 MBBS batch, now serving as interns. They voiced concerns over the financial burden on medical students and urged the authorities to reassess the existing fee and stipend structure.

“This peaceful protest is a call for justice. We are committed to serving the nation, but we also deserve fair treatment,” said one of the protesting interns.

The students emphasized that their demonstration aimed to send a strong yet respectful message to the medical education authorities, urging immediate intervention and policy reforms.

The authorities in Baba Farid University of Health Services said the stipend payment to the interns and tuition fees are fixed by the state government, not the medical university.