Intern doctors from the 2019 batch in all government medical colleges across Uttar Pradesh have launched a strike demanding a substantial increase in their monthly stipends. Currently receiving ₹12,000 per month, the interns argue that this amount is insufficient and unfair given the demanding nature of their duties.
"It is barely enough to meet our basic needs," says Dr Ayush Katiyar, an intern at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida. "Our stipend is lower than that of a daily wage labourer, who earns more than ₹400 per day."
Dr Ayush further highlights the disparity between stipends in Uttar Pradesh and interns in other parts of India.
In states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, medical interns receive between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000 per month. Central government institutions also offer stipends of ₹30,000 per month, positioning Uttar Pradesh among the states with the lowest stipends for medical interns nationwide.
"We do the same work and have the same workload. Therefore, our stipends should be comparable," asserts Dr Ayush.
In a letter dated 22 July 2024, addressed to the District Magistrate of Greater Noida, the interns outlined their grievances and demands. "We are paid only ₹12,000 per month by the Uttar Pradesh Government, which is very low relative to the contributions we make in medical service. We demand an increase of ₹30,000 in our monthly stipend," the letter states
The letter also mentions that the interns have repeatedly attempted to escalate the issue to the highest levels of government, but their concerns have been ignored by both the Uttar Pradesh government and the Ministry of Education.
"Despite numerous efforts, the intern doctors of the state have decided that unless concrete steps are taken by the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Ministry of Education and Medicine to increase our monthly stipends, all intern doctors in the state will be on strike starting 22 July 2024, completely disrupting the medical services we provide," the interns declare.
Ayush confirms that the strike will continue and that the interns are also launching an X (formerly Twitter) protest. As of now, there has been no response from the state government.
