SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, October 7: A delegation from five medical colleges in Jharkhand, led by the Junior Doctors Network (JDN), will meet Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Health Ajay Kumar Singh and Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari to demand a revision of stipends for Senior Residents (SR), postgraduate (PG) students, and interns.
JDN State Secretary Dr. Raghvendra Rathore said the revision has been pending for a long time. Former Health Minister Banna Gupta had agreed twice to revise the stipend when a Senior Residents’ delegation met him at his Jamshedpur residence two years ago.
The delegation will include office bearers from MGMMCH, Jamshedpur; SNMMCH, Dhanbad; PJMCH, Dumka; SBMCH, Hazaribagh; and MMCH, Palamu. The meeting is scheduled before the Diwali festival.
Also Read- SC refers judicial officers’ career stagnation issue to Constitution bench
Current Stipend Scenario and Proposed Increase
At present, Senior Residents in these five colleges receive Rs 80,000 in the first year, Rs 85,000 in the second year, and Rs 90,000 in the third year. JDN is demanding an increase to Rs 90,000 in the first year, Rs 95,000 in the second year, and Rs 1 lakh in the third year. Dr. Rathore noted that former Health Minister Banna Gupta had formally agreed to the demand.
By comparison, Senior Residents at RIMS Ranchi receive Rs 1.23 lakh per month. Similarly, PG students in the five colleges earn Rs 54,500 in the first year, Rs 58,500 in the second year, and Rs 63,500 in the third year, whereas their counterparts at RIMS are paid Rs 80,000, Rs 85,000, and Rs 90,000 respectively.
Intern Stipends and Disparities
Interns in Jharkhand medical colleges receive only Rs 17,500 per month, which is significantly lower than the Rs 32,000-plus paid to interns at RIMS Ranchi. RIMS management recently increased the stipend by Rs 5,000, highlighting the disparity.
Also Read- Former JMM Dhanbad President Kansari Mandal passes away
Demand for Maternity Leave for Senior Residents
Dr. Rathore also stated that the delegation would request maternity leave provisions for Senior Residents. Recently, a group of female Senior Residents met Special Secretary Health Neha Arora and urged the implementation of maternity leave facilities. The Special Secretary assured that the demand would be considered.
