Punjab increases stipend of resident doctors

Chandigarh: Conceding to long pending demands of resident doctors, the Punjab government has enhanced the stipend of senior and junior resident doctors working in government medical colleges of Punjab by up to 36%. The revision has been done after 10 years.

The government has increased the honorarium of junior resident doctors (non-PCMS) from Rs50,000 per month to Rs 67,968, while the stipend of senior resident doctors (non-PCMS) has been enhanced from Rs 62,000 to Rs 81,562. The monthly honorarium of tutors has been fixed at Rs 81,562.
The Union of Resident Doctors of Punjab hailed the move of hiking the stipend but expressed displeasure over government not linking the monthly honorarium with DA. The union had last month written to chief minister Bhagwant Mann to highlight their plight. They had complained that postgraduate doctors pay fee around Rs 2 lakh per annum, which is highest in the country, but are given a meagre stipend. In contrary, their counterparts in the neighbouring states ate paying annual fee of around Rs 20,000 and getting stipend between Rs80,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Neighbours still paying more

Despite substantial hike, the junior and senior resident doctors are still getting manifold higher stipend. Against the revised monthly honorarium of Rs 67,968 in Punjab, junior resident doctors in Chandigarh are getting Rs 85,000, Rs 83,000 in Haryana and Rs 93,000 in Delhi. The senior residents in Chandigarh and Haryana are paid Rs 1,10,000 and Rs 1,15,000 in Delhi. The union has urged the government to bring the stipend of resident doctors at par with Delhi and also requested the government to consider high risk allowance of Rs 20,000 for senior residents and Rs 15,000 for junior residents.