Delhi Harijan
Coordinator
MBBS & BDS Intern Stipend Uniformity Campaign
Intern in Agitation for 104 days: Akanksha Dhami to intensify nationwide agitation if no immediate decision is taken
Nepal News Bank
Kathmandu. MBBS and BDS intern doctors who pass the same entrance exam, study the same curriculum and perform the same responsibilities in the hospital are still forced to work in government and private medical colleges on different stipends.
The ‘MBBS and BDS Intern Stipend Uniformity Campaign’, which was launched demanding an end to this inequality, has completed 104 days.
Although the government has held frequent dialogues with the government in course of the agitation, the formation of the ministry-level correspondence, the formation of study committees and the preparation of the report has not been made yet.
According to the agitating intern doctors, their agitation is not to add any new benefits, but to end the stipend discrimination that has persisted for the last nearly a decade and ensure equal pay for equal work. Talking to Nepal News Bank, coordinator of the
campaign, Dilli Harijan, said that the government has not taken concrete decision to implement the report even after 104 days of the agitation.
He said, “It has been almost
104 days since we started this campaign. In the meantime, we met the officials of various ministries and drew the attention of the Education Minister and the Health Minister through repeated correspondence. He formed a committee. The committee prepared its report, but two months have passed since it was made public, but nothing has happened. We have been forced to stand on the road because of the delay in the decision. “
According to him, the attention of the concerned bodies including the Education Minister, Health Minister and others was drawn time and again during the agitation. He said that although the government had formed a committee to study the problem and the committee had submitted its report, the decision on its implementation has not been taken even after two months of the report being made public.
‘You have formed the committee but you have not taken any decision even after 60 days of the report being made public. The main body should be from the Medical Education Commission, but it has not happened,” Harijan said.
According to him, at present, intern doctors in government medical colleges will get a stipend equal to 50 percent of the salary of the Health Service Officer VIII level. However, interns of private medical colleges are getting only Rs 10,500 per month even if they work for 24 hours.
He claimed that this amount is less than the minimum wage of Rs 19,550 set by the Nepal Labour Act, 2074.
“It is not justified to have such a huge financial disparity between intern doctors who have the same responsibility in both government and private sectors,” he said, adding, “Our demand is to make the stipend uniform in all government and private medical colleges.” “
According to Harijan, the main body to decide on this issue is the Medical Education Commission. According to him, the decision process was affected due to the vacancy of vice-chairperson in the commission for some time, but now that new office-bearers have been appointed, a meeting of the commission is expected to take a decision soon.
He also informed that during the discussion held with the commission a few days ago, the commitment was expressed to take the issue to the commission meeting on the basis of the report of the Ministry of Education.
However, he said that the agitating doctors are not in a position to wait for long.
‘According to the understanding reached in the talks, we will wait for another 15-20 days. If the decision is not taken within that period, we will further strengthen the movement in universities and academies across the country,” he said.
According to him, the protest programs so far have been conducted by focusing on holidays so far that the regular services of the hospital are not affected.
He, however, warned that a new phase of nationwide agitation would be launched if there was any further delay in addressing the demands.
Stating that he still has faith in the government, Harijan urged the government to immediately call a meeting of the Medical Education Commission and implement the report.
‘We expect the government to take a timely decision and end the discrimination against intern doctors. If there is another delay like in the past, we will be forced to expand the movement across the country,” he said.
The agitation of intern doctors is not limited to demanding a stipend increase. This issue, which is related to the guarantee of equal pay for equal work, respect for labor and equal opportunities in medical education, is now waiting for the government’s decision.
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