Pending stipends: Negotiations with health minister successful, Telangana junior docs call off strike

Hyderabad: Telangana junior doctors and senior resident doctors have called off their proposed strike from December 19 after meeting health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Calling the negotiation with the health minister successful, the junior doctors said that the minister was apprised of the various pressing issues faced by the doctors including pending stipends, inadequate hostel facilities, prolonged working hours, the need for a new building for OGH etc. and solutions have been drawn to those.

‘Green channel’ to regularise stipends

President of Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association (T-JUDA) Dr P Kaushik Kumar informed that they had a detailed two-hour discussion with the health minister. “Firstly, regarding the stipend issue, the minister has assured us that a green channel would be created to regularise the stipend disbursement process, which would be credited by the 15th of every month.”

The Director of Medical Education (DME) has also said that they will be releasing new software for smooth processing of stipends within 20 days. Earlier, the junior doctors and senior resident doctors had repeatedly complained about the delay in stipend payment by two to three months.

Stipends for private medical college PGs and FMGs

“Regarding non-payment of stipends to PGs and Interns by private medical colleges in violation of National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines and discrimination in stipend payment against Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) interns, the health minister said that they will get back to us after discussion with the authorities concerned. About stipends of Diplomate National Board (DNB postgraduates), the minister spoke to the respective authorities and assured them that their eight months’ stipends will be deposited at the earliest,” said Dr Kaushik.

More hostel accommodation, new building for OGH on the anvil

“We also informed the minister about the requirement of hostel rooms and facilities as with increased PG seats, more PG medicos are joining. He noted down the list of hospitals and colleges and the area available for the construction of new hostels. Where there is space, new hostels will be constructed and where there is a lack of space, hostels will be allotted in other nearby areas. The minister has also assured that work for a new building for Osmania General Hospital (OGH) will commence very soon,” averred the T-JUDA president.

Committee to look into prolonged working hours of medicos

Finally, regarding prolonged working hours of PGs and interns, the minister said that a committee will be constituted to frame guidelines for fixed working hours so that the PGs and interns are not over-burdened and stress is minimised.

Developments that led to the postponement of medicos’ strike

The decision of the junior doctors to postpone the strike was taken after the health secretary along with the Director of Medical Education (DME) called members of the Telangana Senior Resident Doctors’ Association (T-SRDA) and members of Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association (T-JUDA) for a meeting on Monday, December 18. The doctors discussed where and why the stipends are getting delayed every time.

Referring to the health secretary Dr Christina Z Chongthu, T-JUDA president Dr P Kaushik Kumar said on Monday, “The health secretary said she would discuss the issue and its solution with the health minister and assured us that the health authorities would do their best at the earliest to solve the stipend issue. Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha called and requested us to hold the strike and come to his office with all the issues that we have. Respecting the health minister’s words, we have decided to postpone the strike and have a meeting with him at the Secretariat on Tuesday morning.”

Earlier on December 16, the junior doctors had intimated to the DME that since they had not received assurances about the regularisation of stipends and disbursement of pending monthly stipends despite giving repeated representations to the health authorities, they had decided to boycott out-patient (OP) and elective duties from December 19, 2023.