Amidst the pandemic, around 2,000 intern doctors in government hospitals in Gujarat had gone on strike from Monday, seeking hike in their monthly stipend from ₹12,800 to ₹20,000. They staged sit-ins at various medical colleges.
The doctors’ said their repeated demands to enhance the stipend had been ignored by the health authorities.
Deputy CM and Health Minister Nitin Patel said the strike is illegal. “I have asked all deans of all medical colleges and medical superintendents at government hospitals to treat those intern doctors who have gone on strike as absent from work.
“This is unacceptable,” Mr. Patel said, dubbing the strike a pressure tactic. He said it is mandatory for every medical student to complete the nine month internship post MBBS and on completion, a student gets the certificate of medical practice. Only after successful completion of the internship, a student becomes a doctor.
Last week, the students doing internship had submitted representations to their respective deans demanding hike in their stipend. In their letter, they said they have been discharging their duties as “corona warriors” since April in COVID-19 wards in various government hospitals.
