Mumbai: Senior resident doctors say want Rs 1 lakh stipend

The medical fraternity is not impressed by the Maharashtra government's decision to increase the monthly stipend of senior resident doctors from Rs 80,000 to Rs 85,000 as many consider the amount inadequate, given the high cost of living in the city and the round-the-clock nature of their job.

Stipends used to vary from city to city and medical colleges, ranging between Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000. However, the state cabinet's decision has now unified the stipend across the state.

"The point is to provide us with a stipend on a par with Delhi or even Gujarat," said a senior resident doctor from JJ Hospital. The stipend for his counterparts in Delhi is about Rs lakh, while in Gujarat, it is around Rs 90,000.

After a strike regarding several issues, such as filling up vacant posts, earlier this year, resident doctors received assurance of an increase in stipend. "It took them months to turn those assurances into a decision, and even then, it was only a Rs 5,000 increase," said a doctor from JJ hospital.

Notably, the stipend for senior residents at BMC-run hospitals is about Rs 1 lakh. Officials from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) were unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, the president of Central MARD, Abhijit Helge, said that even this marginal increase would make a difference in the lives of resident doctors. "The point is to have a unified stipend across the country. That's a long-standing issue, and doctors' associations in different parts are pushing for it," he said.

"We dedicate ourselves to patient care, so there has not been as much focus on wage issues as one would like," he added.

Former MARD President Avinash Dahiphale said other demands, like better hostel facilities for doctors, have been ignored for a long time. "Regarding stipends, Maharashtra has more medical seats compared to Delhi or Gujarat, so they may not be able to match the same stipend. But job creation is also an achievement," he said.