PUNE: Medical interns finally withdrew the statewide strike after six days, on Tuesday evening and will be joining work from Wednesday.
Around 2,800 interns were protesting for a hike in stipend, saying there was no hike in the last four years.
The medical interns in Maharashtra receive Rs 6,000 as stipend for the year-long internship. Speaking to Sakal Times, Ketan Deshmukh of the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI), BJ General Government Medical College (BJGMC) in Pune said the authorities have given assurance that the decision on increased stipend will be implemented in next two months.
“Girish Mahajan, Medical Education Minister for the state has assured us that the stipend will be hiked as per our demands and proper implementation will be done in the next two months,” said Deshmukh.
Medical interns met the State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar last week to raise the same issue. Speaking to Sakal Times, members of ASMI, Maharashtra said that as compared to other states, Maharashtra interns get very less stipend. According to members of ASMI, the Maharashtra government charges the maximum fees for medical education in the country, whereas the stipend given to the interns is the least in the country.
“Even states like Bihar and Assam have higher stipend than Maharashtra. The fee they charge from medical students is also less. In such cases, students from Maharashtra suffer a lot. In cities like Pune and Mumbai, Rs 6,000 is nothing. Students who have finished their MBBS have to ask for monetary help from families who have already spent Rs 67,000 per year as the MBBS fees,” said a medical intern.
HOPES INTACT
- Around 2,800 interns were protesting for a hike in stipend, saying there was no hike in the last four years.
- Compared to other states, Maharashtra interns get very less stipend.
