New Delhi   

Medical interns ask for more

NEW DELHI: Requesting the Government for a “raise”, medical students of Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College and University College of Medical Sciences here in the Capital have written to the Director-General of Health Services, R. K. Srivastava, requesting a re-look at the stipend being paid to medical interns during the one-year compulsory rotational internship period.

Stating that the sum of Rs.5,700 was too little for trained medical graduates who are expected to put in long hours of hospital duty, the students in their memorandum to Dr. Srivastava stated that the Union and State health officials should “look into the matter of raising the stipend of doctors during the one-year internship period”.

Azad Medicos Association president Abhishek Bansal said: “This amount has not been increased for the past many years and it becomes difficult to meet even the basic expenditures. Interns work for long hours non-stop and form an important constituent of the hospital functioning without which work would be hampered adversely. The workload and hours put in by interns during the one-year rotation are comparable to those of the doctors doing house-manship in the various departments. However, the difference in pay scales of both is quite striking.”

The joint memorandum signed by medical students from across the Capital also makes out a case for a meeting with senior officials to discuss the matter and asks the authorities to bring in a mechanism to automatically review and revise the pay scale from time to time.

“While this has been a longstanding demand, no suitable action has been taken so far. Medical interns put in several hours of work and with the amount of money being paid to us we cannot often afford a proper accommodation near the hospital area or cope with the high cost of living in Delhi. We also have support from medical students at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and are hoping to take our demand to the highest level possible,” added Mr. Bansal.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

‘Make more women friends’
No end to blue terror Law & order
150 days of struggle celebrated
Last day last show at Chanakya
The magical Indian myths
For a more meaningful old age
Celebrating brotherhood
Children show the way to a better Delhi
Civic body dogged by menace
Pipeline project inaugurated
“Jamboree” of Scouts and Guides
Civic body launches demolition drive
Court acquits rape accused
DDA penalty relief scheme
Girl saves lover from punishment
Blueline owner, contractor get bail
2,900 Blueline buses to be phased out by June 2009
Jail for defacement of property proposed
Newspaper gets three days for filing reply
Medical interns ask for more
CCS reviews security in South Asian region
More forces for Orissa
DDA to set up new traffic planning cell
Law and order
Three injured in accident
Girl sustains acid burns on face
STC clerk jumps to death
Bridge delay discussed in Assembly
Charges of corruption in old age pension distribution
AIIMS faculty members criticise Minister’s order
Gurgaon-Faridabad road to be “Knowledge Corridor”
In the capital today

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu