SC notice to National Medical Commission on plea seeking parity in stipend to Kerala doctors

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the National Medical Commission (NMC) and others on a plea filed by 154 doctors from Kerala on parity of payment of stipend to doctors from self-financing institutions and government hospitals in the state.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale issued notices to the NMC, Kerala University of Health Sciences and others while seeking their replies on the petition filed by the doctors .

In their petition filed through advocate Tanvi Dubey, the doctors challenged the "unjust and arbitrary" act of holding back the stipend and failure to remit the full amount as sanctioned to the petitioners who are serving compulsory internships at various medical colleges and hospitals in Kerala .

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The petition contended that the doctors from the self-financing and government institutions perform the same kind of duty; however, there is no parity in payment of stipend. The Kerala University of Health Sciences has also issued a circular stating that parity in stipend should be provided between government hospitals and self-financing hospitals, the plea said.

According to the plea, as opposed to a statutory stipend of Rs 27,300, the colleges are paying amounts ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 17,000. "Petitioners need to take care of their accommodation, food and other expenses while doing the one-year internship. It is most humbly submitted that without the sanctioned stipend, it is impossible for the petitioners to bear their basic expenses," the plea said.