J&K medical interns protest over low stipend, seek hike

Hundreds of MBBS and BDS interns gathered in various GMCs of Kashmir and also at Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical sciences, Bemina raising slogans like ‘equal work and equal pay’ and demanding enhancement in their stipends.

“For the past seven years our stipends have not been increased. It has remained at ₹12,300. We want it to be increased to ₹30,000. The interns work very hard for the welfare of the patients in hospitals but still they are paid peanuts,” said a protesting doctor at GMC Srinagar.

“In every other state or UT of the country, the stipends have increased to ₹25,000 and in some cases to ₹44,000,” he said.