Despite promises, medical, dental interns in J&K yet to get stipend hike

Srinagar, Sep 26: Medical and dental interns in J&K continue to be paid a meager amount of Rs 12300 during their internship, while their hopes of stipend enhancement continue to fizzle out. It has been two years and three months since J&K Health and Medical Education Department constituted a committee to “work-out” financial implications to the exchequer for “reasonable enhancement” of stipend of MBBS and BDS interns.

Considered the backbone of patient service, medical and dental interns have regular duty hours, many night duties and work under extreme duress. However, with just Rs 12300, they are paid Rs 410 a day, an amount that is less than what their counterparts in other states get. The National Medical Commission mandates that all interns be paid a stipend. This stipend is paid as per the appropriate authority. However, there is a wide disparity in the stipend rates among states and UTs of India. The Supreme Court has intervened many a times in past to ensure that the interns are paid in time and appropriately. The state of Telengana recently hiked the stipend of interns to Rs 30000. In states like Delhi, West Bengal, Karnataka and Assam as well, stipend is Rs 30,000 or more.

However, J&K falls in the same category of states as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where interns are paid stingily.

The Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) is mandatory for every student of medicine and dentistry.

In July this year, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Itoo assured the interns that “a lot of progress” had been made on the matter and the stipend will be enhanced “soon”. However, months have passed with no decision being announced. To make matter worse for the medical graduates at the infancy of their career, many of the medical colleges in J&K delay the stipend of interns, putting them through financial hardships and mental agony. The interns have appealed the Chief Minister and Health and Medical Education department to take a decision, the one that has been long pending. “We are demanding a basic support for our boarding and lodging and Rs 12300 does not suffice the expenses,” a medical intern told Greater Kashmir. He said over the past five years, he and all medical graduates worked hard in the GMCs of J&K to be able to serve the people and be able to support their living expenses. “We are still dependent on our parents,” he lamented. He termed the delay “an exploitative” tactic. “They know we cannot leave and that internship is mandatory,” he said.