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GMC Patiala MBBS students protest meagre stipend, block state highway
The MBBS students and interns of Government Medical College took out a rally and held a signature protest against the meagre stipend on the Patiala campus on Tuesday.
The MBBS students and interns of Government Medical College took out a rally and held a signature protest against the meagre stipend on the Patiala campus on Tuesday. They even blocked the Sangrur-Patiala highway for around 15 minutes.
Over 250 students and interns gathered at the college and raised slogans against the Punjab government and the hospital administration and took out a rally on Government Rajindra Hospital premises.
Students and interns alleged that the MBBS course fee has seen a significant hike over the past couple of years. However, the stipend given to the interns during their compulsory internships has witnessed no change in the past 10 years. They are receiving just ₹9,000 per month as a stipend.
Birgurman Singh, an intern, said, “The stipend amount was the same for his seniors, who used to pay just ₹13,000 fee for MBBS course. Now, we pay ₹80,000 fee and yet get ₹9,000 as stipend. If they have hiked our fees, then they have to hike our stipend.”
“The stipend is much higher in the neighbouring states. Inters of MBBS colleges in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi are getting nearly double of what is given to interns in Punjab’s medical colleges,” he added.
The MBBS students and interns across state are protesting against the state government over the issue and are organising rallies as a show of strength against the “injustice” against them in the form of meagre stipends.
Dr Harijinder Singh, principal of Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, said, “The state government is working on the issue. The government had planned to hike the interns’ stipend from ₹9,000 to ₹15,000 and the process is underway. Once the proposal is accepted, students are likely to get a hiked amount as stipend.”
