Bengaluru resident doctors haven't received Covid risk allowance since May

Dozens of resident doctors protested at the BMCRI and other government-run medical colleges across the state on Thursday, demanding monthly Covid risk allowance of Rs 10,000 which hasn’t been paid since May 6 this year.

Postgraduate medical students and interns gathered near the outpatient department of the BMCRI-affiliated Victoria Hospital, boycotting elective medical services and outpatient consultations. The students said that while their academic fees saw a 500% rise in 2019 compared to 2018, their monthly stipend increased by a mere 50%. They demanded the restructuring and reduction of the academic fee.

According to the protesters, there’s been no timely payment of stipend to MBBS interns and that there’s no clarity about postings even a month and a half since the MD/MS final-year results were declared.

One protesting resident doctor at the BMCRI said: “We’re only demanding what we were promised. The Covid risk allowance was to be given for six months to every postgraduate student. It’s October and the money has still not been released.”

Dr Jeevan Y M, a student of MD (Psychiatry) at the BMCRI, said: “The academic fee was increased all of a sudden. It was about Rs 23,000 initially but increased to Rs 1.3 lakh. This is a huge burden on us.”

Resident doctors pay an annual fee of Rs 1.3 lakh while they get a stipend of Rs 45,000-55,000. Super-specialty residents pay a fee of Rs 2,17,020 and get a stipend of Rs 55,000 to Rs. 65,000.

Protests were also held at government medical colleges in Shivamogga, Ballari, Karwar, Raichur and Mysuru.

The students said nearly 65% to 75% of the sick cases in the state’s government medical college hospitals were managed by resident doctors. One-fifth of the students, or about 1,000 resident doctors, were also infected with Covid in the process.

Dr Smitha Segu, task force head and nodal officer for Covid-19 at Victoria Hospital, said: “All their (students’) queries were heard and answered. Whatever the BMCRI can do, it’s been done.”

Anil Kumar, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, and BMCRI Dean Dr C R Jayanthi did not respond to queries from DH.

Later in the day, Dr Namratha C, president, Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD), said: “Postgraduate students at the MMCRI (Mysuru) met the health minister and submitted a memorandum with their demands. He has responded positively that funds will be released from the government. With a positive response from the government, we are calling off the strike. If the government fails to respond again, we will escalate our protest.”

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