Private medical colleges are reportedly saving crores of rupees by either not paying stipends to MBBS interns and resident doctors or paying them significantly less than government medical colleges, reported the Times of India, on Monday, March 3.
According to data submitted by medical colleges to the National Medical Commission (NMC), at least 60 institutions (including 33 government and 27 private colleges) do not pay MBBS interns any stipend.
According to the Times of India report, many private colleges have failed to submit information regarding the stipends they provide. Initially, NMC threatened action against non-compliant institutions, but after several colleges ignored data submission requests, the responsibility was shifted to state authorities.
Interns paid below minimum wage
Thousands of MBBS interns who perform clinical duties as part of their final-year internship are being paid less than the national floor minimum wage of Rs 5,300 per month.
Data submitted by NMC to the Supreme Court reveals that at least 20 private colleges pay their interns Rs 5,000 or less, while many admitted to not paying any stipend at all.
Although NMC has been aware of the issue since July last year, no punitive action has been taken against any medical college so far, reported the Times of India.
Under the NMC's Postgraduate (PG) Medical Education Regulation 2023, private medical colleges are required to pay a stipend equivalent to what government colleges in the state pay resident doctors. However, the lack of enforcement has allowed colleges to continue underpaying medical students with no significant consequences.
