The Telangana Junior Doctors' Association (TJUDA) has declared an indefinite statewide strike, beginning June 30, at all 34 government medical colleges, citing unmet demands and irregular stipends.

TJUDA noted in a letter to the Director of Medical Education (DME) on Friday, June 27, that several concerns had been raised with both the DME and Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha, citing stipend payout delays and the failure to implement Government Order (GO) 59, which mandates a stipend increase for junior doctors, The New Indian Expresss reports.

Junior doctors also raised concerns about poor infrastructure, teacher shortages affecting undergraduate (UG) and graduate education, inconsistent stipends in private medical colleges, and delays in scholarship and tuition refunds for minority, Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Backward Classes (BC) students.

Despite multiple follow-ups and discussions with the health department, TJUDA stated that the concerns remain unsolved. They underlined that doctors continue to work more than 36 hours each day under physical and mental stress, frequently for months without pay.

The doctors also stated that professor shortages and inadequate infrastructure plague all 34 medical colleges in the state, including private institutions, and that stipend disbursement has been sporadic.

"Despite 34 medical colleges in Telangana, these issues persist. The government has made promises but failed to implement solutions to our problems in all government medical colleges. Private medical colleges also face issues with stipend payments, affecting the students. We have submitted representations to higher officials regarding our demands," Dr Ajay Kumar, General Secretary of TJUDA, told ANI.

The doctors’ strike would go on until their demands regarding the infrastructure and stipends are met, the association states.