MBBS interns at the Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) staged a protest outside the administrative building on Monday, demanding that their monthly stipend be increased from ₹12,000 to ₹30,000.
As the protest intensified, the interns attempted to march towards the main road, but were stopped by police and institute security personnel. The protesters continued raising slogans on the campus.
RMLIMS director Prof CM Singh said the protest was part of a statewide agitation by MBBS interns seeking a stipend revision. “We have received a memorandum from the protesting intern doctors, which will be forwarded to the state government for appropriate action,” he said.
The protesting interns said the current stipend of ₹12,000 per month is among the lowest paid to MBBS interns in the country. They said the protest was aimed at drawing attention to the issue and pressing for a long-pending revision.
“MBBS interns work 8 to 12 hours a day but receive only ₹12,000 a month, which comes to around ₹400 per day. This is even lower than the daily wages earned by many labourers,” said one of the protesters.
The interns demanded that the stipend be increased to at least ₹1,000 per day, or ₹30,000 per month, arguing that it would provide fair compensation for the long working hours and responsibilities they shoulder during training.
{{/usCountry}}The interns demanded that the stipend be increased to at least ₹1,000 per day, or ₹30,000 per month, arguing that it would provide fair compensation for the long working hours and responsibilities they shoulder during training.
{{/usCountry}}The protesters urged the institute administration and the state government to address their long-pending demand and revise the stipend at the earliest.