MP government hikes stipend of MBBS interns by Rs 500 after strike; students upset

NEW DELHI: Following the strike by Madhya Pradesh MBBS interns over stipends, the state medical education department has announced a hike in the stipend amounts. However, the aggrieved medical students are dismayed by the increase of Rs 500 only. Citing long hours of work, stress, and minimal pay, several medical interns in the state staged protests demanding “fair” stipends for their “hard work” and “dedication”. While other states are providing Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per month as stipend, MP is only paying Rs 400 per day, the interns alleged and asked the reason behind the low pay.

The interns sought increment in the monthly dues up to Rs 30,000 starting from July 29. “At present, we face serious difficulty in meeting our daily needs like rent, food, transportation, and study materials. This financial pressure has an adverse impact on our efficiency and mental health, which ultimately affects the quality of health services we provide,” the interns said in a letter to the government.

MBBS internship stipend across India

Referring to how other states including Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Meghalaya have provided financial security to their interns by increasing the stipend amounts, the interns argued that financial support will help them discharge their duties more efficiently resulting in improvement of health services of the state. There has been no significant increase in the monthly stipends of interns whereas the cost of living has been continuously increasing, the interns complained.

Also read ‘A routine circus’: To get stipends, PG medical students lobby, move court

In response to the demands, the ministry of public health and medical education issued a notification for increase in monthly stipend of doctors in government medical colleges across the state, with effect from April 1, 2024. Accordingly, the increased monthly stipends of junior doctors are as follows:

Also read Haryana’s MBBS bond policy a constant source of fear and stress for students

MP medical interns upset over amount

A doctor and activist, Dhruv Chauhan, slammed the government for the small increase in amount in a sarcastic comment on social media. “The result of interns strike across Madhya Pradesh resulted in a stipend hike. But wait, can you guess how much? It's a huge Rs 500 increase. Interns across MP are now asking what they would do with this amount of money. Some have booked their Rolls Royce, while others are going for Maldives trip impressed with such hefty increase in stipend by CM Madhya Pradesh,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“Extreme shamelessness !! After the strike of iintern doctors in Madhya Pradesh, the government increased the stipend by only Rs 500,” wrote a doctor.