MBBS interns at the state-run Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) staged a protest on Friday, demanding that their monthly stipend be doubled from around Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) warned that they may intensify the agitation by shutting out-patient department (OPD) services across Bihar if their demands remain unaddressed.
Protest at PMCH
Around 200 MBBS interns, joined by some doctors in solidarity, wore black armbands at work to mark their protest. They claimed the state government had last revised their internship allowance in 2022 with a promise of further revision after three years, which has not happened yet.
The Democratic Medical Association (DMA) tweeted on X: "Sleepless nights, endless duties, meagre stipend. Bihar interns demand respect, not exploitation!," and gave call for the protest.
Disparity with other institutes
The medicos highlighted that stipends in Bihar are lower than those in neighbouring states and even within Patna.
While MBBS interns at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) get Rs 30,000 and those at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna receive Rs 32,000, government medical college interns get only around Rs 19,600. In comparison, West Bengal offers Rs 43,000 and Odisha Rs 40,000.
The JDA, which has been pursuing the issue for a month, said it had written to the state health minister and officials on August 18 but “received no response despite repeated appeals.”
