Bhopal, Sep 8 (PTI) Interns from medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh staged a road blockade and sit-in protest here on Tuesday, demanding their monthly stipend be raised from Rs 14,337 to Rs 30,000.
The junior doctors had launched a protest at the gate of the Government-run Hamidia Hospital on Monday, during which the police used water cannons to disperse them and some of them were allegedly injured.
Protesting interns took to the streets again in the Kamla Park area on Tuesday, seeking a hike in stipend and Rs 1.5 lakh compensation for those injured during Monday’s police action.
According to the delegation of interns, there are 3,655 MBBS interns in government and private medical colleges in the state, of which 2,055 are studying in government medical colleges.
They said the annual MBBS course fee is around Rs 1 lakh, while interns receive a monthly stipend of only Rs 14,337.
They claimed that in Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, interns receive higher stipends despite relatively lower fees.
Talking to PTI Videos, the protesters said that their main demand was a Rs 30,000 stipend per month and Rs 1.5 lakh compensation for their injured colleagues and action against cops involved in the violence.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ayush Gupta told PTI Video that discussions are underway regarding the interns’ demands.
Speaking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also holds the Health portfolio, said that positive discussions have taken place with the interns, and he is in touch with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
He said that serious, positive discussions have taken place on both issues — the stipend increase and Monday’s police action — and that the matter will be discussed again in the evening.
According to eyewitnesses, traffic was disrupted in the Kamala Park area as interns sat on the road. The protest at Hamidia Hospital also disrupted outpatient department (OPD) operations, inconveniencing patients.
Meanwhile, an inquiry has been ordered into the use of water cannons during the protest, an official said.
Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar ordered an inquiry considering the seriousness of the matter, he said. PTI MAS ARU
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