Stipend hike decision stings Junior Doctors

​Hyderabad: The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T JUDA) expressed unhappiness over government decision to implement stipend hike decision from September 1, as the stipend increase was pending since January 2018 onwards. Health department on Saturday issued GO 98 to give 55 per cent hike on existing stipend for PG students pursuing super-specialty and broad-specialty courses as well as internees (house surgeons).

As reported earlier, for post-graduates doing MD courses (broad-specialty), the revised stipend is in the range of Rs 44,075 to Rs 48,973, with the lowest for first year students and highest for third-year students. Those pursuing DM (super-specialty) would get monthly stipend in the range of Rs 48, 973 to 53,859. For House Surgeons (medical and dental), the revised stipend is Rs 19,589.

It may be mentioned here that presently junior doctors doing MD courses are getting stipend in the range of Rs 27,000 to 30,000 per month, while those pursuing DM are in Rs 30,000 to 33,000 bracket. House surgeons are given Rs 12,000 per month. 

However, T JUDA said that delayed implementation of stipend hike was huge loss to house-surgeons and post-graduates in second and third year of their study. T JUDA chairman Dr P S Vijayender Goud stated that medicos were expecting the hike decision would be implemented from January 1, 2018 so that they would get fresh stipend from September 1 onwards and salary arrears for eight months. This decision had left all of us disappointed, T JUDA members said.