MUMBAI: Medical interns from BMC-run colleges who completed their internships this February have alleged unequal distribution of Covid-19 incentives to them.
At the peak of the pandemic last year, the BMC announced an incentive of Rs 39,000 a month for Covid duty for all interns, in addition to their stipend of Rs 11,000. While interns from one civic-run medical college and hospital were given the incentive from March 23 last year to January 2021, the ones in three other hospitals did not get it for a month or two or longer. Some of them said they did not even get the daily allowance of Rs 300 for two to three months.
On Monday, these doctors, who are now serving their bonds, wrote to all the concerned authorities to seek arrears of their payments.
In their letter, the junior doctors have alleged their colleagues from KEM Hospital have received Rs 39,000 per month from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic till January 31 whereas the ones from Nair Hospital did not get it for over two months. The interns from Sion and Cooper hospitals did not get their incentive for January. Some from Nair Hospital, too, did not get their daily allowance of Rs 300 from October to December.
“In fact, some of us were not even given the arrears of our basic stipend of Rs 11,000 for two months last year,” said a member of the Association of State Medical Interns (2020-21 batch).
One of the doctors said despite working throughout the pandemic, there is an unreasonable and unacceptable delay in paying them. There is also confusion on when the incentives were to be discontinued.
While a BMC authority said the incentive was discontinued after December 2020, when Covid cases had dropped significantly, the interns from KEM hospital received it for January too, said an intern from last year’s batch.
“Why is there a differential treatment for interns, when all these colleges come under the BMC?” asked a doctor.
A senior BMC official said they are looking into the complaints from students and will resolve these at the earliest.
Meanwhile, interns from the current year, who started their internship in May, have also asked for Covid incentive.
