More than 75 intern doctors of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC), on Wednesday resorted to agitation demanding regular pay out of monthly stipends. The agitating doctors alleged they were not getting their monthly stipends for the last two months amidst Covid 19 pandemic. The doctors met in a protest in front of the Medical Superintendent office and urged the authorities to meet their demands at the earliest.
“Keeping our lives at stake, the interns of the hospital are giving their best services. But, despite that the authorities are not releasing timely stipends for us”, an agitating medical student said.
The demonstration of the junior intern doctors ended after senior officials met them and assured them of their dues soon.
“Ignoring all the challenges and threats, we are doing 15 to 16 hours of duty every day and what we are getting in lieu of that ? In all the states, interns are getting increased stipends and special ex-gratia in view of the prevailing situation. On the contrary, in our state we are even deprived of the deserved stipend. This must be stopped and the authorities should ensure speedy pay-outs of our salaries”, the student said explaining their plight.
When asked regarding the problems faced by patients due to their sudden agitation, she said, “See, we are all human beings. If we can manage two months without salaries in a government hospital, the patients should also manage for a day. If our salaries are released, we will join our services”, interns replied.
They alleged that earlier also in 2018, the intern doctors were deprived of their pay for months and had to resort to similar demonstration.
One of the patient’s wife who had reached hospital with her specially abled husband extended support to the agitators and alleged that due to negligence on the part of certain officials all the patients were suffering.
