Key Highlights:

  • Strike called off after 9 days: Medical interns returned to duty after J&K Health Minister Sakina Itoo assured a stipend revision within 30 days.
  • Written assurance secured: The government gave interns a written commitment that the stipend issue would be resolved within a month.
  • Hunger strike also ended: Interns protesting outside Bemina Medical College in Srinagar broke their fast following the assurance.
  • Demand remains a hike to Rs 30,000: Interns had sought an increase from Rs 12,300 to Rs 30,000, citing a stagnant stipend since 2019 despite rising living costs.
  • Backed by doctors' bodies: Organisations like the Doctors Association Kashmir and Jammu Kashmir Doctors Coordination Committee had supported the interns' demand.

Srinagar: After assurance from J&K Health Minister Sakina Itoo that their stipend would be revised within 30 days, medical interns returned to their duties on Wednesday after nine days.

The deadlock in talks with the UT government had resulted due to the demand of the medical interns that the government should give them formal assurances.

How The Resolution Came About

Sakina Itoo on Tuesday evening called representatives of the protesting medical interns for a fresh round of talks. It was decided after the meeting that the government would revise the stipend of the interns within 30 days in accordance with the recommendations of the stipend enhancement committee.

The meeting with the health minister was attended by representatives of the medical interns, the Principal of Government Medical College Srinagar and the Deputy Director Planning representing the Director Health Services Kashmir.

The MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir decided to call off their strike after the government gave a "written" assurance that the stipend issue will be resolved within a month.

After this assurance, the interns called off their strike and returned to their duties today. The medical interns, who were sitting on a protest hunger strike outside the Bemina Medical College in Srinagar, also broke their fast and decided to return to their duties.

The Core Demand

The medical interns had been demanding an increase of their monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 30,000. The protesting interns argued that despite the cost of living having risen manifold, the stipend had remained stagnant since 2019.

Medical interns work in emergencies, OPDs, operation theatres and attend to in-hospital patients. They form an important part of the healthcare delivery system in J&K.

Support From The Medical Community

Senior doctors had supported the demand of the medical interns. Bodies like the Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK), Jammu Kashmir Doctors Coordination Committee (JKDCC), and political figures supported the agitation, citing long working hours and the soaring cost of living.

(With inputs from IANS)