In a significant relief for MBBS interns and students pursuing postgraduate and super-speciality courses in medicine and dentistry at government institutions across Telangana, the State Government has approved a 15% hike in stipends, said a report by the Medical Dialogues.
"Government after careful examination of the matter, hereby accord sanction for enhancement of stipend by 15% w.e.f. 01.01.2025 to the Interns of MBBS/BDS, Post Graduate (Degree & Diploma), PG Dental, Super Speciality and honorarium to Senior Residents..." said the Government order.
According to the order, the monthly stipend for house surgeons (medical and dental) has been increased from Rs 25,906 to Rs 29,792.
For postgraduate (degree) students, the revised stipends are:
First year: Rs 67,032 (up from Rs 58,289)
Second year: Rs 70,757 (up from Rs 61,528)
Third year: Rs 74,482 (up from Rs 64,767)
PG Diploma students will also benefit from the revision:
First year: Rs 67,032 (up from Rs 58,289)
Second year: Rs 70,757 (up from Rs 61,528)
The stipend for senior residents in Telangana has also been revised. As per the latest Government Order, first-year Super Speciality students will now receive Rs 1,06,461 per month, up from Rs 92,575. Second-year students will get Rs 1,11,785 instead of Rs 97,204, and third-year students will receive Rs 1,17,103, an increase from the earlier Rs 1,01,829.
Additionally, the stipend for MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) students has been raised. First-year MDS students will now earn Rs 67,032 (earlier Rs 58,289), second-year students will receive Rs 70,757 (up from Rs 61,528), and third-year students will get Rs 74,482, an increase from Rs 64,767.
Following the release of the Government Order, senior residents will now receive an honorarium of Rs 1,06,461, replacing the previous amount of Rs 92,575.
The announcement led to junior and senior resident doctors calling off their planned strike. Expressing gratitude to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Health Minister Damodhar Rajanarasimha, and the Telangana Government for their “proactive and positive response to the concerns raised by junior doctors,” T-JUDA (Telangana Junior Doctors Association) officially withdrew their protest.
“All medical, academic, and hospital services across government medical colleges and hospitals in Telangana will resume with immediate effect and continue as usual,” T-JUDA stated in a release.
An earlier report from the Medical Dialogues said that junior doctors in Telangana were preparing to launch an indefinite strike from June 30 to press for a series of demands, including a stipend hike, timely stipend disbursal, publication of an annual faculty recruitment calendar, timely scholarship grants, and fee reimbursement.
Initially, junior doctors across government medical colleges in Telangana had planned to go on an indefinite strike, demanding a series of reforms and improvements. However, following the State Government’s decision to implement a 15% hike in stipends for MBBS interns, postgraduate students, and super-speciality doctors, they have now withdrawn the protest. All academic, medical, and hospital services are set to resume immediately.
In addition to the stipend hike, the government also extended the engagement of 16,448 staff members, including contract, outsourced, and honorarium-based positions working under the Directorate of Medical Education for another year, or until permanent appointments are made.
Acknowledging these developments, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) welcomed the government’s proactive response. They confirmed that key issues, such as, including stipend enhancement, timely stipend disbursal through Budget Release Orders, and the extension of Senior Residents’ contracts, had been addressed.
The government also assured improvements in infrastructure across medical colleges and agreed to include student representatives in the Medical College Monitoring Committee (MCMC).
The Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (T-SRDA) also thanked CM Revanth Reddy and Health Minister Damodhar Rajanarasimha for acting on long-pending concerns of resident doctors and reaffirmed their support for the Government’s commitments to healthcare reform in the state.
Following the state government's recent announcements, the Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (T-SRDA) expressed appreciation for the timely resolution of their long-standing demands.
"The official release of the Stipend Extension G.O. and the assurance towards clearance of pending stipends for the last three months, as well as the official release of the long-due stipend hike G.O reflect the government's deep commitment to the welfare of the healthcare professionals and its respect for our continuous service in the medical and academic field," the association mentioned in its release.
T-SRDA further acknowledged the government's responsiveness, stating, "This act of responsiveness has brought immense relief to the Senior Residents, who were facing financial constraints and emotional distress due to administrative delays. We sincerely thank the Hon'ble leadership for recognizing our concerns and providing a swift and honorable resolution to our demands."
Announcing their decision to withdraw the protest, the association added, "As a result of this positive development, the proposed strike by the Senior Residents has been called off. We assure our continued commitment to patient care and academic duties and look forward to a productive partnership with the government in strengthening the public healthcare system of Telangana.”