While the health department is grappling with the ongoing strike of Aarogyasri services in private hospitals, the issue of delayed stipends to the junior doctors has cropped up again.

The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) on Wednesday raised concerns over the delayed stipend disbursement in the government hospitals across the state, reported The New Indian Express.

The T-JUDA said that thousands of junior doctors, senior residents, super specialities, dental postgraduates, house surgeons, and nursing students across the state were undergoing hardships due to continued and inexcusable delays in stipend disbursement.

“Despite the timely submission of stipend bills by heads of institutions under the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), approvals remain stalled in the Finance department, leaving frontline medical professionals unpaid on time as promised by the government and pushing many junior doctors into financial crisis.

“Many of us are struggling to meet basic needs such as food, rent, and transportation. Some are unable to pay examination fees, and several families dependent on these stipends are under immense stress due to the delay”, T-JUDA said in a statement.

The doctors said that multiple representations were submitted to the government for timely release of stipends, however, every month they had to follow up several times with various departments, added TNIE.

JUDA demanded immediate release of all pending stipends, authorising the director of medical education (DME) to directly disburse the stipends and implementation of a fixed, time-bound monthly schedule for stipend disbursement.