Aditi Rathod, a Junior Resident (JR) practising in Akola, voiced how delayed and unsatisfactory stipends are. Receiving “irregular stipends” leads to financial insecurities. Elaborating on the same point, she said “So many of us have educational loans to clear and EMIs to pay. With delayed and irregular stipends it is getting tougher with each passing day to keep up with our finances.”
Money is a crucial factor in carrying out day-to-day activities and JRs in Maharashtra have to “dig” into their savings to get through several days and months. The 29-year-old Aditi said, “Many of us had to borrow money from our near and dear ones to somehow get through the months. Some of us had to dig into our savings.” Sharing her plight further, she said, “I even had to break an FD (Fixed Deposit) to make ends meet. It has been a trying time and the delay in stipends is not a one-time occurrence, it is a regular occurrence.”
Speaking about the indefinite strike which will begin on February 7, she is hopeful to see some positive improvements in the future.
Call for strike
The JRs coming from different corners of the country to Maharashtra have been facing infrastructural and stipend issues for more than a year now. The strike, which was scheduled to happen on January 3, was called off owing to assurances and promises given by the government officials to the JRs. However, the conditions have just worsened, they say. Therefore, the Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) decided to go on strike as their demands for better infrastructure and timely payments are still unmet
A letter dated January 31, released by the MARD Association mentioned the details of the strike. The letter read, “As a responsible citizen and a doctor, we are extremely apologetic for the hampered patient care during the strike and ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL REMAIN FUNCTIONAL DURING THE STRIKE, but the responsibility for any hampered patient care will solely lie upon the Government.”
A JR based in Nagpur, who was particular about staying anonymous, told EdexLive how it has been a tough ride dealing with his mental health issues while working for 24-48 hours at a stretch. “We JRs are given a single room in which three to five people are stuffed. The condition is so pathetic that we don't get clean water to drink, let alone better accommodation. How can we treat patients when we are suffering?” he said.
When asked about finance management and providing for the family, the anonymous JR, who is practising at Government Medical College (GMC) Nagpur, said, “We are reducing our expenses by walking rather than using a vehicle, consuming low-quality food from dhabawallas, and taking loans from friends. As JRs, we work round the clock. We don't have a fixed time to go back.”
Additionally, he also suggested that a salary system be initiated, wherein, irrespective of where the JR is working, whether Nagpur or Mumbai, they all receive the same stipend. “Students in Mumbai receive a substantial amount when compared to us in Nagpur and this is not fair play.”
What is fair and what is not
Poor infrastructure entails space, hygiene, mental and physical health and so on. According to Aditi Rathod, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has taken measures to take care of JRs’ mental health. However, the GMC-associated anonymous speaker stated differently. He said, “Owing to poor infra, some of us have opted to stay outside the campus, but we end up staying on campus for 24 hours because we are expected to be available. This simply adds up to our mental health deterioration.”
One of the JRs informed EdexLive that, in line with the NMC mandate, they are not supposed to work for more than 16 hours per day. Following this, the Nagpur-based JR said, “Some of us work for 48 hours at a stretch and it becomes next to impossible to even rest."
Furthermore, security issues are a particular concern for female JRs. A letter dated November 21, 2023, from GMC Nagpur read, “Female doctors, in particular, face insecurity while working odd hours due to insufficient measures and CCTV surveillance.” Additionally, the letter, addressed to The central President of MARD, further read, “Urgent disbursement by the 10th of every month is crucial.”
When it comes to the accommodation at Nagpur’s GMC, the college hosts a total number of 693 Junior Residents, whereas, the number of available rooms stands at 306, stated the letter.
The JRs further mentioned that the upcoming strike is their last resort after slogging for more than a year, hoping to see some betterment. “Hopefully, this strike will let the authorities know that there is a limit to our patience as well and we will not be tolerating their blatant disregard for our basic rights anymore,” said Aditi, in her concluding words who is practising in Maharashtra’s Akola city.
Official’s say
As the JRs are facing issues on a day-to-day basis, on February 2, 2024, EdexLive spoke to Dilip Mhaisekar, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER). When asked to comment on the indefinite strike starting in another four days, he said, “I was unaware about the strike till this morning. It was brought to my attention only a few hours ago. I wish to meet the students and discuss their problems at the earliest.”
Following this, on February 3, Mhaisekar informed that a meeting had been arranged with students. “We are looking forward to meeting the students on Monday (February 5) and speaking to them about the same issue."
