Every year, thousands of students dream of becoming doctors, and in Punjab, this dream flickers a little less with each passing year, not for lack of talent or dedication but because of the crushing weight of soaring medical fees.
For those who manage to cross this expensive threshold, the reality is sobering, as resident doctors and interns receive stipends disproportionate to their course fees.
The medical students and MBBS interns of Government Medical College (GMC), Amritsar, protested on Monday, May 26, condemning high course fees and low stipends.
Dr Archit Bawa, President, Medical Students Association, GMC Amritsar, “We are protesting so that the continuous fee hike of 5 per cent every year is halted, and the stipend we receive is too low; it should be increased.”
Dr Archit points out that until 2019, the fees of the MBBS curriculum in Punjab were around Rs 4.4 Lakhs; in 2025, the fees rose by 77%, and it is currently Rs 11.8 Lakhs.
However, interns have received a monthly stipend of Rs 15,000 for the past five years, which equals around Rs 500 a day.
Dr Archit also explained how neighbouring states have twice their stipend with only half their fees.
The protest took place in a peaceful march from the OutPatient Department (OPD) block of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, to Gate 1, Government Medical College, Amritsar.
The Medical Students Association had sent letters to the chief minister, governor, minister, chief secretary and director of medical education and research, vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, director and principal of Government Medical Colleges, Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot on May 7, 2025.
Upon receiving no response, they sent a second letter demanding a response to the first on May 23, 2025. Yet, they haven’t received any response.
Medical students and interns have urged the government to make necessary changes as it severely affects students aspiring to be doctors, especially those from the poor and middle-class sections of the state.
