Today, the United Doctors Front Association (UDFA) gave a letter to Governor of Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Food & Medical Education Dr Sumita Mishra demanding an increase in the stipend for MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) interns of Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences or PGIMS Rohtak.
Speaking to EdexLive, the General Secretary of UDF India Dr Arun Kumar said, "The stipend for medical intern students has not been increased over the past five years." Although the central government has increased the stipend to Rs 30,070, the PGIMS interns are getting a stipend of Rs 17,000, he further stressed.
Arun Kumar, working as a Resident Doctor at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi, shared, "We from UDF demand a uniform stipend as the duty of the intern doctors is the same across India." Further, he said that the demands of the UDF unit of Haryana include:
1. An increase in the stipend for intern doctors from Rs 17,000 to Rs 30,000
2. Better hostel facilities
Hostel concerns
Another concern of the intern doctors is the shortage of hostels at Rohtak Health University. Mentioning this in the letter, the UDF unit said, "Every year, hundreds of resident doctors and undergraduate students of the country and the state take admission in medical, dental, paramedical, nursing and other courses, but hostel space is not available in the institute to match the increasing number of students."
"Due to this, hostels are not available in the university for the students taking admission in Pharmacy, Paramedical and Nursing from the session 2023-24," the letter added. Additionally, it is said that proposals for the construction of new hostels have been sent to the state government by the university administration.
Therefore, the students are requesting the government to quicken the construction process of new hostels in PGIMS. Recalling the earlier tragic incidents of hostel roofs falling off, the doctor said, "The hostels are in dilapidated condition and this is very concerning."
Plans for the future
Dr Arun Kumar told EdexLive, "Initially, we gave a letter to the Haryana Governor and ACS. If the demands are not fulfilled, we will take legal action." Additionally, "In my point of view, the elections are coming up and every political party should mention these demands in their manifesto," he added.
Further, he recalled that the resident doctors were the same COVID-19 warriors who served through the darkest phase. Therefore, "We deserve a hike in stipend and better hostel facilities," he says.
