Srinagar, Sep 4: The deadlock over the stipend of MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir continued on Friday after a meeting between representatives of the protesting interns and Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo failed to produce an agreement, with the interns deciding to continue their indefinite strike.
The interns had sought a clear and written commitment on enhancement of their monthly stipend, but according to Dr Zamin Javiad, an intern from GMC Anantnag who was part of the delegation, the Minister did not provide the written assurance sought by the delegation.
Speaking about the meeting, Dr Javiad said the Minister told the delegation that the issue would be resolved within a month and assured them that the Government was working toward a possible solution.
The interns, however, wanted the assurance in writing.
“We wanted a written assurance, but the Minister declined,” Dr Javiad told the news agency Kashmir News Trust, adding that the Minister maintained that discussions remained open and that the interns could approach her at any time.
The meeting therefore ended without an agreement that could persuade the interns to withdraw their agitation.
The interns have been demanding that their monthly stipend be increased from the existing ₹12,300 to ₹30,000. They began their indefinite strike on August 31, saying the existing stipend has remained unchanged for years despite inflation, long working hours, emergency duties and the responsibilities assigned to them in government hospitals.
The Government has previously acknowledged the demand. Health Minister Sakina Itoo had described the demand as justified and said the proposal was under consideration in the Finance Department, while also urging the interns to call off the strike because of its impact on patient care.
The interns say assurances that the matter is “under process” are no longer sufficient, particularly after the issue remained pending despite earlier recommendations and repeated representations.
Dr Javiad said the interns would not end their agitation merely on the basis of another verbal assurance.
“We will continue our strike till the resolution of our issue,” he said.
The decision means clinical services will continue to be affected at medical institutions where interns have withdrawn from routine duties. Reports from GMC Srinagar have already indicated additional workload for postgraduate doctors following the interns’ absence from wards, emergency departments and other clinical areas.
The interns maintain that they are not seeking an indefinite confrontation with the Government but a formal decision that provides certainty about the revised stipend.
For now, however, the meeting has failed to break the impasse, with the interns making it clear that the strike will not end without a resolution of their demand. [KNT]
