E-Paper
Stop protesting for hike or lose stipend: GMC Patiala to interns
Now, the MBBS interns of Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, are likely to lose the “meagre” stipend they are currently receiving, if they
Now, the MBBS interns of Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, are likely to lose the “meagre” stipend they are currently receiving, if they protest demanding a hike in it. The GMC administration passed orders in this regard.
“All interns of this institute are instructed that if they go to strike after February 20, they will be declared absentee and strict will be taken against them. Also, stipend will not be paid to them during the protest days,” the official notice by the college administration reads.
One copy each of the orders were sent to the GMC deputy controller (finance and audit), director (research and medical education) and heads of the department at the GMC-RH.
An intern, pleading anonymity, said, “The college administration wants to suppress our voice over the meagre stipend row and wants to stop us from demanding a hike in it.”
According to the interns, the stipend given to them during their compulsory internships has witnessed no change in the past 10 years while the MBBS course fee has been increased gradually from ₹13,000 to ₹80,000.
The stipend is much higher (between ₹15,000 to ₹20,000) in the neighbouring states including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, the MBBS interns claimed. Whereas the interns at Punjab medical colleges receive just ₹9,000 per month as stipend.
On Tuesday, the MBBS interns took out a rally and held a signature protest against this “meagre stipend” and demanded hike at college and blocked the Sangrur-Patiala highway for around 15 minutes.
Dr Harijinder Singh, principal of the Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, has confirmed the development. He said, “We have issued a notice in this regard. The demand of interns has already been accepted and the state government is working on it, so what is the need for these protests?”
