Intern Doctors In UP Get Paid Even Less Than Daily Wage Workers

They speak to The Quint saying that the work is increasing during corona pandemic but the stipend remains the same.

Intern doctors in UP

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim/Varun Sharma

“We do emergency duty in the hospital for around 10-12 hours every day and we get a stipend worth only Rs 250”.

Intern Doctor, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj

“We have no issues giving in more hours of duty as we are committed to our work, but is the government committed to helping us?”

Intern Doctor, Government Medical College, Azamgarh

These questions are being raised by several intern MBBS doctors in Uttar Pradesh. At a time when the entire nation is in lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, those who are fighting this pandemic head-on are doctors, nurses, and the entire medical team, who have been rightly termed as “warriors”. They have been showered with a lot of praises but these intern doctors of UP are demanding some basic rights.

MBBS is a 4.5-year-long course including a one-year-long internship. During the internship, they have to perform the duties in different departments of Medical colleges.

Why Such Less Stipend For Intern Doctors in UP?

There are over 40 private and government medical colleges in UP, where more than 2,500 intern doctors offer their services. Those doing their internships are given a stipend worth just Rs 7500 per month, which is the lowest in the country.

The stipend that is given in other states is nearly twice or more. For instance, a stipend of Rs 23,000 is being given in Central Medical Colleges. At the same time, Rs 16,590 is being given in West Bengal, Rs 15,000 in Punjab. Even in the other states, the stipend given is more than that in UP.

Indian Medical Association-Medical Students’ Network is of the opinion that in some private medical colleges of the state, only Rs 6,000 stipend is given, while in some colleges internship is being done without any stipend. The association has written a letter to CM Yogi Adityanath addressing the situation and demanding for an increase in stipend.

The Quint gets in touch with intern doctors from different medical colleges in UP. All of them say that in the past 10 years these stipends have been intact, there has been no increase. The work is increasing, but the honorarium being given to them has remained the same.

Neeraj Kumar Mishra, the State President of the United President and Doctors Association, says that the organisation has also written a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stating that during the pandemic, intern doctors are working hard but in the name of stipend, they get paid less than even a daily wage worker.

If we just look at the work being done by these intern doctors then we would realise that they are the most at risk. They are the frontliners, present on the ground, looking after all the patients. It is our appeal that these interns across all states or central medical colleges get an equal amount of stipend as per their work.

Neeraj Kumar Mishra, State President, United President and Doctors Association