Govt Agrees To Partly Hike Stipend Of Junior Docs

EHM News Bureau - Kolkata

Junior doctors agitating at the state-run SSKM and Calcutta Medical College Hospitals softened their stance on a hike in their stipends after Pratyush Mukherjee, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal promised to reconsider their demand of a 100 per cent hike in their monthly stipend.

About 700 post-graduate trainees (PGTs) and post-doctoral trainees (PDTs) are demanding a hike in their monthly stipend, which they claim is the lowest in the country. “We get only Rs 6,300 per month but we have to pay Rs 1,000 per month to the West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS) as fees. Even the newly carved out state of Jharkhand pays a minimum of Rs 14,000 per month to a first year PGT or PDT. The UP Government gives monthly stipends ranging between Rs 18,000-Rs 21,000 per month to the PGTs or PDTs,” said a first year student of Calcutta Medical College & Hospital. The State Government has not hiked stipends since 1998.

The strike of junior doctors have plagued functioning in the outpatients’ department, operation theatres and emergency services.

The Minister met the post-graduate trainees (PGTs) and post-doctoral trainees (PDTs) and assured them that the Government had decided to hike the stipend of PGTs by 30 per cent and those of PDTs and house staffs by 39 per cent.

Some PGTs said they would join duty only at OTs and emergency wards of the teaching hospital. But the ceasework would continue in non-emergency services at OPDs and on night-duty.

“Considering the plight of the patients we have decided to resume work in emergency services. But we are not satisfied with the government proposal to a have hike of 30 per cent and 39 per cent for PGTs and PDTs respectively,” said a PGT of SSKM Hospital. On the other hand, the State Government has threatened to take drastic action against the doctors if they continue with their agitation.