Bihar: MBBS interns demand hike in monthly stipend

PATNA: Health services were severely hit in government hospitals across the state on Monday as MBBS interns staged protests, demanding increase in their stipend allowance from Rs 15,000 to Rs 35,000 per month. They also threatened to go on an indefinite strike if their demand was not fulfilled at the earliest.
“We spend almost 12 hours in service of patients in a day, but the amount paid to us as stipend is similar to the daily wage of a labourer. It’s humiliating when we compare our stipend with that of other states’ medical interns,” said an agitating intern doctor.
At Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), a large number of patients, including those who came from far off rural areas, had to return disappointed as agitating interns forced closure of the out patients departments (OPDs) and also damaged the registration counter at the government hospital.
Holding placards with slogans such as "yeh hartal jaruri hai, 500 rupaye majdoori hai', the MBBS interns, including girls, claimed that they would continue the strike untill their demands are fulfilled by the state government.
However, the NMCH superintendent Dr Binod Kumar Singh termed the strike by medical interns totally illegal. “No notice was given by interns for the protest.” Expressing anguish over the trouble created at the registration counter, Dr Singh said an action would be taken against trouble makers on the basis of CCTV footages of the registration counter.
"About 1500 patients had to return disappointed without getting medical services in OPDs thus bringing down the total number of patients visiting the hospital, from an average 2500 daily to 918. However, the hospital administration has informed the health department about the demand of MBBS interns,” the NMCH superintendent said.
Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) also witnessed similar protest as about 300 interns staged a demonstration, shouted slogans against the state government and tried to disrupt the OPD services. However, the hospital administration led by superintendent Dr IS Thakur, senior doctors and senior residents came into action and managed to resume health services. Dr Thakur later said emergency and other services ran smoothly.
Similar demonstrations were held by interns at medical colleges at Gaya, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur.