The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) has called for boycotting OPs (outpatient) and elective OTs (operation theatre) from December 19, Tuesday, due to the delay in the disbursement of stipends for second and third-year junior residents. The association has written to the Director of Medical Education (DME), Telangana Dr K Ramesh Reddy regarding the concern today, December 16.
"All Telangana junior doctors and senior residents are going to strike from December 19 if we don't get assurance regarding the regularisation of stipends. All OPs and electives will be boycotted," said the president of T-JUDA Kaushik Kumar Pinjarala while issuing the letter.
The letter to the DME read, "We are writing to bring to your attention a matter of great concern regarding the delay in the disbursement of stipends for 2 and 3rd year Junior Residents and house surgeons since September, as well as the stipends for 1st-year postgraduates and senior residents are still in the process."
Further, it stressed that the delay in the stipend is leading to financial stress among the junior doctors. Despite giving multiple representations in the DME office, to the Health Secretary, Finance Secretary and then Health Minister, the delay in stipend has not been cleared, alleged the association.
To recall, the association has staged several strikes urging the government to regularise their stipends. The resident doctors alleged that in the past, their stipends were cleared because of continuous and repeated follow-ups and pressure mounted on the concerned authorities every month.
"As a last resort, junior doctors (interns/PGs/SS PGs) and Senior residents have collectively decided to go on a strike from 19 December 2023," the letter read. The demands are:
1) Regularisation of stipends: Stipends should be credited on or before a specific date every month
2) Appoint a person in charge from the finance department who would get the medical bills cleared within 24 hours of the cheque release
Joining the JUDA, the Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (T-SRDA) has also written to the DME today, December 16 about the matter.
