Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Jan 24: Medical interns and post-graduate (PG) doctors serving at government Wenlock hospital are concerned over the non-payment of stipend for the past 10 months.

Addressing media here on Friday, January 24, president of Internals council Chiranthan Suhrid said, "We have not received stipend for the past 10 months. Our tenure ends in the month of March. Despite Chief minister B S Yediyurappa's written order dated December 24, 2019, our stipend is not released. We get a stipend of Rs 20,000 per month.

“An order was passed by the directorate of medical education on October 30, 2019, stating that the stipends for the interns must be paid from the Goverment Wenlock hospital Arogya Raksha Samithi fund for the current year 2019 - 20. We have met medical superintendent Rajeshwari Devi and Deputy Commissioner Sindhu Rupesh and they have said that there is no fund available to pay stipend. But in RTI reply it is clearly stated that there is money in the fund.

"Our work as interns involves hospital duty wherein we work for 18 hours continuously on some occasions. There are 250 medical students in our batch of 2014-15. Only approximately 50 of us are students from the government merit quota through CET exams. The remaining 200 students were admitted by the exam conducted by the MAHE and they have been receiving stipend promptly each month paid by their college. Only 50 of us have not been paid by the government.
“We have met deputy chief minister Ashwath Narayan, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, principal secretaries Javed Akhtar, Hemalatha, Health and Family Welfare minister Sriramulu in this regard but all have given only gave assurance and no action is taken till today.

“We appeal the concerned authorities to release our stipend at the earliest,” he said.

Medical interns Srilaxmi, Siddarth Shankar, Nihal Rai and Kuldeep were present.