Srinagar, Sep 2: Patient care at hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir was affected on Wednesday as medical interns continued their indefinite strike for the third consecutive day, demanding an increase in their monthly stipend.
Hundreds of MBBS and BDS interns staged sit-in protests and candlelight vigils at medical institutions across the Union Territory, pressing for an increase in the stipend from the existing ₹12,000 per month.
The protesting interns said the stipend had remained unchanged for the past seven years despite the workload and long duty hours associated with their internship.
The strike has affected routine services at several hospitals, with interns maintaining that they would continue the agitation until their demand for a substantial increase in the stipend is addressed.
The interns have been demanding a monthly stipend of ₹30,000, arguing that the existing amount does not adequately reflect the duties and responsibilities they discharge during their compulsory internship.
The agitation entered its third day amid continued pressure on the administration to resolve the issue and restore normal functioning at hospitals. [KNT]
