Mumbai: The new year brought relief to the resident doctors in the State after the government assured a ₹5,000 hike in their stipend. A government resolution (GR) mandating leave for maternity and tuberculosis is also under way.
“The stipend hike was accepted long ago but we had nothing on paper. The circular is finally coming this week. The stipend will be paid from the back date of August 2018,” Dr. Lokeshkumar Chirwatkar, president, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, said.
The first, second, and third-year resident doctors currently get ₹52,000, ₹53,000, and ₹54,000 as monthly stipend respectively. The last stipend increase was implemented in July 2015 after the resident doctors went on a strike.
According to Dr. Chirwatkar, it was during the same time that the government had also agreed to make the resident doctors eligible for maternity and tuberculosis leave. The doctors who work in nearly 12-hour shifts are exposed to infectious patients. There have been many cases of doctors and interns suffering from TB.
“These leaves are essential. The GR to this effect is now in the process. It may take about two months to be issued,” Dr. Chirwatkar said.
A fund of ₹100 crore was released by the medical education ministry on December 31 to pay the stipend of resident doctors from five government medical colleges. The doctors from Nagpur, Akola, Aurangabad, Ambejogai, and Latur have not received stipend since October. In a unique protest, they sold fruits outside the college campus. “The authorities have finally released the money which will be utilised for the stipend payment. The resident doctors should get the money soon,” Dr. Chirwatkar said.
Dr. Pravin Shingare, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, confirmed the development. “The resident doctors will get the pending stipend in their accounts on Thursday.”