Mangaluru: Deprived of stipend, medical interns, PG doctors protest

MANGALURU: Medical interns and postgraduate doctors serving at the Government Wenlock Hospital, Regional Advanced Pediatric Care Centre (RAPCC) and Lady Goschen Hospital in the city held a protest on Monday against non-payment of their stipend by the government from March this year.

A total of 51 medical interns and 38 postgraduate doctors, who are qualified through K-CET and have been allotted government seats at Kasturba Medical College (KMC) through state couselling conducted by Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), have been serving at the three government-run hospitals in the city. None of the medical interns and postgraduates has been paid stipend by the government since March, said Ujwal U Suvarna, representing Interns and PG Student Association.

"We form the backbone of the healthcare system at our government hospitals and have endlessly and tirelessly served the people of Karnataka. The casualty, emergency wards, ICU, labour theatre, out-patient department and operating rooms will stand crippled without our unrelenting service. But despite utmost sincerity and efficiency we have perennially faced discrimination and apathy with regard to monthly remuneration for our work," Ujwal said.

The department of medical education has deprived them of their rightful stipend for the last eight months despite being sanctioned, he said. "In spite of our busy work schedule, we have painstakingly approached the officials concerned on multiple occasions only to be humiliated and played back and forth with false assurances. We even made an appeal to our chief minister and minister for medical education, who promised us a speedy resolution, but we are yet to see any concrete outcome," he added.

Another internee Prasad M B pointed out that many of them are married and have significant financial commitments and constraints. "The stipend being our sole source of income has pushed us to a point of sheer desperation. We request the government to take up our problem at the earliest and our salary be paid without any further procedural delays," he urged.

Medical interns and postgraduates on government quota are eligible to receive stipend of Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month, he said.

Government Wenlock Hospital medical superintendent Dr H R Rajeshwari Devi told reporters that an audit objection is the reason for non-payment of stipend to medical interns and postgraduates.

“The payment has not been made due to an audit objection as to why stipend should be paid to medical interns and postgraduates from KMC. As per a Government Order, all are entitled to avail stipend and we have replied urging the government to make payment since they have been serving our hospitals tirelessly. The deputy commissioner also has requested the government to make payment to them,” Dr Rajeshwari said.