Junior doctors stage silent protest in Andhra Pradesh

Junior doctors stage a symbolic protest wearing bandages to highlight their safety concerns, at Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada on Tuesday.

Members of the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA), who are staging a silent protest across the state, said the issues on top of their agenda are delay in payment of stipends to interns, poor hostel facilities and a long wait for a hike in fees of graduate doctors.

“There has been a delay in disbursement of stipends to trainees across the state. While some have not received stipends for two months, others have been working without stipends for four months now,” said APJUDA general secretary P. Achyuth.

Junior doctors staged protests across the state after a doctor on duty was allegedly assaulted by the family of a patient who died at the Vijayawada Government General Hospital on Thursday. Following the arrests on Saturday, doctors withdrew their call for an indefinite strike but continued the silent protest at most medical colleges in the state, APJUDA members said.

“Apart from the lack of security, we are facing other problems. Many of our universities do not have adequate dormitories. Two or even three students are accommodated in small rooms meant for one person. We have raised these issues with the Directorate of Medical Education (DME),” Dr Achyuth said.

In addition, the government had earlier announced a 15 per cent increase in fees for graduate doctors, whether general or super specialty. “We should have received this increase by January this year, but the authorities have now informed us that it will take some time as a new government has taken over,” Dr Achyuth said.

Asked for his response, Director of Medical Education DSVL Narasimham refuted allegations that scholarships were not being released to some for months. “Only once, in May, there was a delay. The scholarships for May and June will be released by Tuesday,” he said. The Hindu Monday.

Dr Achyuth said most of them received their allocations on Tuesday (July 16), but added that such delays were not uncommon.

On the other demands, Dr Narasimham said, “Even if the increase in their fees is delayed, they can rest assured that the arrears will be paid. We have forwarded the matter to our superiors. While we cannot give a specific timeline at the moment, we can assure them that we will pursue the matter.”