By Sanchari Chattopadhyay

Copyright medicaldialogues

Ranchi: A delegation representing five government medical colleges in Jharkhand, under the banner of the Junior Doctors Network (JDN), is set to meet Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Health Ajay Kumar Singh and Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari to press for long-awaited revisions in stipends for senior residents, postgraduate students, and interns. Also Read:Chemists Launch Indefinite Strike Over Coldrif Tragedy, Demand Action Against Manufacturers Not SellersAccording to JDN State Secretary Dr. Raghvendra Rathore, the stipend revision issue has been pending for years despite repeated assurances. He recalled that former Health Minister Banna Gupta had twice promised to revise the stipend when senior residents had approached him at his Jamshedpur residence nearly two years ago. Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr. Rathore detailed the existing pay structure, stating that senior residents in the five medical colleges currently receive Rs 80,000 in the first year, Rs 85,000 in the second, and Rs 90,000 in the third year. The association is now demanding an increase to Rs 90,000, Rs 95,000, and Rs 1,00,000, respectively. In comparison, senior residents at RIMS Ranchi earn Rs 1.23 lakh per month. Similarly, postgraduate students in the five colleges receive Rs 54,500, Rs 58,500, and Rs 63,500 across three years, while their RIMS counterparts are paid Rs 80,000, Rs 85,000, and Rs 90,000. The gap extends to interns as well—those in Jharkhand’s medical colleges earn Rs 17,500 per month, far less than the Rs 32,000 or more received by interns at RIMS Ranchi, which recently raised stipends by Rs 5,000.Also Read:Gujarat Medical Education Dept Denies Stipends to FMG Interns, Sparks ControversyDr. Rathore emphasized that while RIMS is a centrally governed institution, the state-level disparity is unjustified. “After taxes, most of us take home only Rs 75,000, and many have families to support. We do not receive accommodation and have to pay our rent as well. Senior Residents should at least receive Rs 1 lakh per month,” he said. The delegation also plans to raise the issue of maternity leave for female senior residents. Recently, a group of women doctors met Special Secretary Health Neha Arora, requesting the implementation of maternity leave provisions across state medical institutions.