OPD services hit as docs, interns go on strike

The Outpatient Department (OPD) services at Rajindra Medical College here remained suspended as the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) and MBBS interns of Government Medical College, Patiala, observed a day-long strike today.

The unified action followed growing unrest among resident doctors over long-standing concerns regarding working conditions, financial compensation and administrative policies in government medical institutions, said RDA president Dr Ramandeep Singh.

MBBS interns also joined the protest, complaining against their stipend amount. In Punjab, MBBS interns currently receive a stipend of Rs 15,000 per month. The interns said that the amount had remained unchanged for several years despite the increasing cost of living and the demanding nature of their work.

“The Punjab Government has recently introduced a Rs 20-lakh bond policy for the MBBS and BDS admissions, adding to the financial burden of students,” said one of the protesting MBBS interns.

The interns demanded a hike in the stipend from Rs 15,000 to at least Rs 30,000 or at par with the Central institutions.

Expressing their grievances, an intern said, “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 RDA demand included ending non-clinical tasks like file and Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) duties, which resident doctors argued fell outside their academic mandate.