Srinagar, Jul 04: The medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir offer the lowest stipend to MBBS interns despite clear recommendations for a reasonable hike, with medical interns seeking attention of the government and health department.The MBBS interns from various medical colleges across the Union Territory said they get a stipend of Rs 12,300 per month, the lowest in the entire country. “The stipend isn’t on par with medical and dental colleges in the country. A sum so meagre, doesn’t pay for survival, let alone acknowledge sacrifice,” wrote Aaqib Khan in a post on X.“This is not merely about remuneration. It is about dignity, respect, and the ethical responsibility of a state to uphold the worth of its future healers. To underpay them is to undervalue the very foundation of our healthcare system,” he said.The interns have been urging the J&K Government and the Health and Medical Education Department to increase their stipend, citing a committee recommendation.They said earlier, the government formed a committee comprising the Director, Finance, H&ME Department vide order number 538 JK-HME dated 27-06-2023, that had recommended enhancement of a reasonable stipend. It submitted its report in August 2023.Notably, the committee recommended an enhancement in stipends of interns to Rs 26,350 from Rs 12,000 based on half of the basic pay of a Medical Officer in J&K, as per the norms of National Medical Commission (NMC).However, the interns said that despite the submission of the report, the matter has been stalled in the Finance Department since January 2024, with no progress for more than a year now.Notably, in October 2024, a delegation of such students met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah regarding the same at the Civil Secretariat Srinagar. The CM had then assured them that there would be no disparity between the interns of J&K and the rest of the country.Medical interns said the stipend in J&K was last enhanced in January 2019, when J&K was under the Governor’s rule, and till now they continue to be paid with the lowest stipends.The interns said that recently, the Government of Telangana, in a decisive step, enhanced the stipend for MBBS interns to Rs 29,792 per month and for Postgraduate scholars to Rs 67,032 per month, a 15 per cent hike that reflects a state’s recognition of its medical workforce.The interns said they had high hopes that the committee’s recommendations would bring their stipends on par with their counterparts in other states. However, the prolonged delay has left them disillusioned. “We work diligently, often putting in extra hours and performing every duty of a resident doctor, yet our compensation is lower than that of daily labourers,” said one of the interns at Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag.In May, MBBS interns from various GMCs of J&K met the Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister to discuss the resolution of the long-pending demand and presented a memorandum.Citing growing disparities with other Indian states and mounting financial stress, the interns appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter.“Since the Finance Department falls under the domain of CM, we request his intervention to grant budgetary approval for the stipend hike. It would bring immense relief and recognition to interns who are at the frontline of patient care,” they said.The interns said they worked hard to clear the file from all offices. “The delay from the government is shocking, a year has passed, yet no orders. We deserve fair stipends,” they added.
