Mansoor Peer
Srinagar, May 15: In Jammu and Kashmir, the enhancement of stipends for MBBS and BDS interns continues to remain pending despite clear recommendations for a substantial hike, with medical interns seeking the attention of the government and the Health Department.
The issue of medical interns has once again come under discussion, with several videos surfacing on social media in which interns themselves are highlighting the problems they face due to low stipends and long duty hours in hospitals and medical colleges.
MBBS interns from various medical colleges across the Union Territory said they receive a stipend of only Rs 12,300 per month, which they claim is the lowest in the country.
A medical intern, known as Yani on social media, said that nobody dares to talk about the rights of healthcare workers. “The government is least bothered about the issue. They should learn something from Delhi, Kerala, Bihar, and other states,” he said.
Yani alleged that the government has been delaying the file by moving it from one office to another. “We have been raising this issue for many years. This is our right,” he said.
In 2023, a committee was constituted which recommended increasing the stipend for MBBS and BDS interns from Rs 12,350 to Rs 25,000 per month. The committee had also deliberated on stipend-related issues concerning postgraduate resident doctors.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammad Momin Khan of the FAIMA Doctors Association said that the enhancement of internship stipends is still pending in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging delays and confusion between departments over the approval process.
He said the Finance Department has informed that the file is currently with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while Health Minister Sakina Itoo has reportedly stated that the matter is lying with the Finance Department.
Calling for immediate action, the FAIMA Doctors Association urged the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to intervene and resolve the issue at the earliest in the interest of intern doctors across the Union Territory.
In October 2024, the interns had met the Chief Minister in Srinagar, who had assured them that there would be no disparity between J&K interns and their counterparts across the country.
Medical interns said the stipend in J&K was last enhanced in January 2019 during Governor’s rule, and since then they continued to receive the same stipend.
The interns further said that the Government of Telangana recently enhanced the stipend for MBBS interns to Rs 29,792 per month and for postgraduate scholars to Rs 67,032 per month, reflecting the state’s recognition of its medical workforce.
On July 15 last year, Health Minister Sakina Itoo had stated that there would “very soon” be an increase in the stipend of MBBS interns and that the “file was under process.”