Now Reading: J&K MBBS, BDS interns warn of hunger strike from October 10
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J&K MBBS, BDS interns warn of hunger strike from October 10
MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir are waiting for the government to issue a stipend hike order by the October 9 deadline, failing which they will begin an indefinite hunger strike from October 10. The J&K government had assured on September 8 that it would finalise the stipend enhancement within 30 days based on the Stipend Enhancement Committee's recommendations.
The interns, from 10 government medical colleges and two dental colleges, had called off a previous hunger strike after Health Minister Sakina Itoo promised to look into their demand. They say the current stipend of about Rs 400 per day is lower than an unskilled worker's daily wage and insufficient for commuting expenses.
The All India Medical Students' Association (AIMSA) has also written to the minister seeking urgent revision of stipends for postgraduate residents. AIMSA's J&K intern representative Dr Mohammad Akib Javid said on X that interns want a written order and implementation, not confrontation.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The one-day countdown puts the J&K health department in a bind: either issue the stipend order by October 9 or face a renewed indefinite hunger strike from October 10 that would disrupt hospital services. The interns' demand for parity with daily-wage workers exposes how stipends of about Rs 400 per day have not kept pace with living costs in the region. AIMSA's letter widens the dispute beyond MBBS and BDS interns by including MD, MS and DNB residents, who also cite inter-state disparities. The government's written assurance on September 8 set the expectation that the Stipend Enhancement Committee's recommendations would be implemented, but no order has been released. With the deadline expiring on October 9, the decision rests with Health Minister Sakina Itoo.
Source: medicaldialogues.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
