3,000 med interns threaten to strike work

Mumbai: Around 3,000 medical interns from the state have threatened to go on strike from June 13. Their demands include a raise in stipend from Rs 6,000 to Rs 20,000 as the stipend provided to interns in Maharashtra is the lowest as compared to other states, where it is nearly Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.

The Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) has called for an indefinite strike from June 13 to demand a hike in stipend.

Dr Asif Patel, secretary, ASMI, said, “The interns have demanded that their stipend be increased and that if the stipend issue is not solved, they will go on an indefinite strike. The interns have demanded an increase in the stipend several times, but the government has only made empty
promises.”

Interns in Karnataka, Kerala and Assam get a stipend of Rs 20,000; West Bengal interns get Rs 21,000; and interns in Delhi and Chhattisgarh get Rs 18,000. “We want our stipend to be increased to Rs 20,000,” said Dr Patel.

While Dr Pravin Shingare, director, DMER, said, “We have considered their valid request and are thinking on it. We need to make a proper plan about what has to be done next with regard to this.”

A medical student who did not want to be named said that after completing the MBBS course, they have to serve as interns for one year. “We cater to almost everything in hospitals including registrations, monitoring vitals of patients, and collecting blood and other samples etc.,” he said.

The state government increased the stipend from `2,500 to `6,000 in April 2012, after the interns held massive protests in 2011. At the time, too, most other states were paying their interns much more.