Medical interns at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) were seen scrubbing cars and selling tea within the premises of the hospital on Thursday evening. This was a symbolic protest to tell the government that even tea-sellers earned more than them in Maharashtra. Interns across the state have been on a hunger strike for the last four days, demanding an increase in their stipend.
Many of them have been hospitalised and some detained by the police. Till Wednesday, ten of the 50 students from GMCH on indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai had been taken to the ICU. On Thursday, this number rose to 17, with another three being under arrest. Five more students of GMC are ready to join indefinite hunger strike if no decision came by Friday.
Some interns, who were refusing medical treatment, were taken to the hospital forcefully. Three of their colleagues tried blocking the ambulances and were arrested for it.
The current stipend of these students is Rs 2,550 per month and their demand is to increase it to Rs 13,000. DMER officials had offered to raise it to Rs 6,500. The students, however, refused. "The students should be ready to make some compromise. It is not so easy to increase the stipend six times at once. If they call off the strike, we could resume dialogue and resolve the issue," said DMER director Dr Pravin Shingare.
Meanwhile, MLA Devendra Fadnavis met the interns and assured them quick action. "He told us he had a word with the medical education minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit in the morning and would speak to him again in Mumbai on Friday," informed S Abhisheik, president of Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) from GMCH, Nagpur.
The interns at the government-aided Ayurveda colleges have also gone on a hunger strike. These students, too, are demanding a hike in their stipend, which is even less at Rs 1,700 per month. They have also demanded an annual increment of Rs 1,000.
An intern at the Sri Ayurveda College, Manoj Pandey said, "If our demands are not met within a couple of days, we would resort to measures like gherao and rasta roko." He also informed that interns from all 17 government-aided colleges in the state may collect at Nagpur subsequently to join their strike.
Many of them have been hospitalised and some detained by the police. Till Wednesday, ten of the 50 students from GMCH on indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai had been taken to the ICU. On Thursday, this number rose to 17, with another three being under arrest. Five more students of GMC are ready to join indefinite hunger strike if no decision came by Friday.
Some interns, who were refusing medical treatment, were taken to the hospital forcefully. Three of their colleagues tried blocking the ambulances and were arrested for it.
The current stipend of these students is Rs 2,550 per month and their demand is to increase it to Rs 13,000. DMER officials had offered to raise it to Rs 6,500. The students, however, refused. "The students should be ready to make some compromise. It is not so easy to increase the stipend six times at once. If they call off the strike, we could resume dialogue and resolve the issue," said DMER director Dr Pravin Shingare.
Meanwhile, MLA Devendra Fadnavis met the interns and assured them quick action. "He told us he had a word with the medical education minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit in the morning and would speak to him again in Mumbai on Friday," informed S Abhisheik, president of Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) from GMCH, Nagpur.
The interns at the government-aided Ayurveda colleges have also gone on a hunger strike. These students, too, are demanding a hike in their stipend, which is even less at Rs 1,700 per month. They have also demanded an annual increment of Rs 1,000.
An intern at the Sri Ayurveda College, Manoj Pandey said, "If our demands are not met within a couple of days, we would resort to measures like gherao and rasta roko." He also informed that interns from all 17 government-aided colleges in the state may collect at Nagpur subsequently to join their strike.
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