Resident doctors protest, seek hike in stipend

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 3

Resident doctors at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) and the Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College at Tanda today wore black badges and staged protests on the campus against the government’s failure to increase their stipend along the lines of what their counterparts in neighbouring states were getting.

The state Health Department has not implemented their demand to increase their monthly stipend on a par with those in neighbouring states even as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had accepted their demand three months ago, they rued.

According to resident doctors, the state is paying them peanuts as compared with their counterparts in neighbouring states despite the fact that they discharge duties for 36 hours in the IGMC and the DRPGMC. The emergency services depend on resident doctors — both senior and junior residents — in these hospitals, they pointed out.

The resident doctors are the backbone of emergency and trauma and other medical services in hospitals, but the Health Department remains indifferent to their demand. “We have no option but to wear black badges which will continue till December 10,” said Dr Sandeep Kaushisk, general secretary, RDA.

In return, the junior residents get Rs 25,000 in the first year, Rs 27,000 in the second year and Rs 30,000 in the third year in these colleges. In contrast, their counterparts get Rs 80,000 in Delhi, Rs 65,000 in Meghalaya and Manipur and Rs 65,000 in UP, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana while the minimum standard is Rs 50,000, the resident doctors plead.

The resident doctors reminded the Health Department that their association members had met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on August 24 this year and he had accepted their demand seeking an increase in stipend then. But the health authorities did nothing in this regard even after three months, they rued.

On the other hand, the Himachal Medical Officers’ Association (HPMOA) has extended support to the resident doctors saying that the demand regarding increase in the stipend was long overdue as residents in other states are getting more than double what they are getting here in the state.

This demand was included in the demand charter of the HMOA, said Dr JN Chauhan, general secretary, HPMOA, and Dr SL Sharma, its president.