Intern doctors go on strike, demand hike in stipend

JAIPUR: Intern doctors in several parts of Rajasthan went on an indefinite strike from Friday demanding a hike in stipend along with other demands.

Dr Vikash Milki, vice-president, All Rajasthan Intern Doctor Association, said that for the past year his colleagues have been demanding a monthly stipend of ₹14,000 along with a DA (dearness allowance).

“Rajasthan gives ₹234 per day stipend to intern doctors which is the lowest in the country. For over a year now we have been requesting the government to increase our stipend,” Milki said, adding that intern doctors have been equally toiling hard as front-line workers during Covid-19.

Dr Sunil Sharma, also a protesting intern doctor, said that the government should give some assurance to young doctors that they will be taken care of in these difficult times.

“We want basic facilities like PPE and N-95 mask to be given every day. We also want some assurance that if our families get infected, they will be given proper treatment in the hospitals,” Sharma said.

Meanwhile, the members of the association claimed they will not budge from their demands until the government finally agrees to meet demands raised by doctors.

“There have been multiple meetings between us and the government but no headway has been made. The government kept us on assurance while offering nothing in the return,” Milki said, adding that government should also pay heed to perils which face intern doctors.

The intern doctors’ association also added that they have been working round the clock ever since the Covid-19 pandemic began to intensify across the state.

“We are operating at the lowest pay scale in the country, what we are demanding as the stipend is completely justified,” Sharma said.