Kashmir medical interns protest over stipend, demand hike; PDP and Congress show support
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Kashmir medical interns protest over stipend, demand hike; PDP and Congress show support")
Medical interns in J&K demand ₹30,000 stipend amid delay in government decision Photograph: (Idress Lone)
Medical interns at government hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir are protesting over the delayed stipend revision, demanding a hike from ₹12,300 to ₹30,000 per month.
Medical interns at government hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir have stepped up protests over the long-pending revision of their stipend, demanding an immediate hike from the existing ₹12,300 to ₹30,000 per month.
The interns say the stipend has remained unchanged since 2019, despite rising living costs and their demanding duties in wards, OPDs and emergency departments.
The government had constituted a committee in June 2023 to examine the issue. The committee recommended increasing the stipend to ₹25,000, a figure later acknowledged by the government in the J&K Legislative Assembly. However, the revised stipend has yet to be implemented.
The interns say the proposal has remained stuck amid processing and financial concurrence, despite repeated representations to the government.
Joining the protesting interns at GMC Srinagar, PDP leader Iltija Mufti backed their demand for ₹30,000, saying interns are among the lowest-paid medical trainees despite working long hours.
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Mufti said interns are routinely made to work 12 to 48-hour duties and are often denied adequate holidays and leave. She urged the J&K Government to engage with the protesters and resolve the issue immediately.
Dr Mohammad Momin Khan of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) criticised the government’s latest assurance that the file is “under process.” “How long will interns have to wait? The demand has been pending for years. Intern doctors need a concrete decision, not another assurance that the file is under process,” Khan said.
Khan appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene, saying intern doctors are an essential part of hospital services and deserve a fair stipend.
The interns are demanding immediate issuance of the government order, uniform implementation across government medical colleges and a mechanism for periodic revision of the stipend.
With a government committee already recommending ₹25,000, the protesting interns are now asking why the decision remains pending and demanding that the government act without further delay.
