Lata Mangeshkar Hospital warns interns of stopping degrees if strike not called off

Nagpur: The strike of MBBS interns entered 4th day at Lata Mangeshkar Hospital and NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday. In the last two days, the college management had released their pending stipends for the last two months in a staggered manner. On the other hand, the management on Thursday served them 48 hour notice to end the strike and warned them of not issuing their degrees if they don’t join duties.
“It is informed to you that if you do not join/resume your work as an intern, the undersigned shall be constrained to take appropriate action against you, including non-issuance of degree to you,” reads the notice singed by dean of NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences.
The notice further states that the dean will file police complaints/cases against the agitating doctors if they don’t end strike in the next two days. The letter makes it clear that MBBS interns cannot claim or demand enhanced stipend as the ‘same is governed by the rules and regulations of the institute’.
The agitating doctors are furious over these actions. “No college can stop our degrees. That is the prerogative of the health university,” said one of the doctors adding that threats won’t work any more.
“By doing this, the college administration is trying to pressurize us. Earlier also, our seniors who conducted such strikes were pressurized and their strikes ended without any result. Our stipend has remained unchanged for the last six years now,” said the doctor.
These MBBS doctors are getting Rs3,000 per month as stipend, which means Rs100 per day for their full-time service in patient care. While government medical colleges give Rs11,000 per month to interns, private colleges in the state are paying at least Rs5,000.
KJ Somaiya Medical College in Mumbai pays Rs10,000 monthly as stipend while BKL Ratnagiri and VPMC Nashik pay Rs8,000. Amravati’s PDMMC gives Rs6,000.
Agitating doctors said that the annual fees of these colleges are less than NKPSIMS and “many of them even provide hostel facility for free”.
The interns also claimed that the college administration threatened them that it will not let them appear for the PG-NEET if they don’t withdraw the strike. College management was not available for comment.

- MBBS interns of NKPSIMS are on strike since Monday
- They are demanding revision in stipend which is Rs3,000 per month
- According to them, Rs100 per day for an MBBS doctor is insulting
- Doctors claimed their stipend has not been revised for many years
- They want some respectable amount as stipend