Mumbai, September 1: The stipend issue for medical interns in Jammu and Kashmir has once again come to the forefront. PDP leader Iltija Mufti criticized the Omar Abdullah government for the delay in increasing the stipend for MBBS interns. She demanded immediate approval for the proposed stipend of ₹30,000 per month.
Iltija Mufti stated, “It is only the medical interns in Jammu and Kashmir who receive peanuts compared to their counterparts across India. Do you know how hard they work? They put in 36 hours a day, with no gazetted holidays, no Sundays off, and no weekends.”
Currently, interns are receiving merely ₹12,400 per month, which amounts to about ₹400 daily. Concerns are being raised about how these young professionals, who manage the entire hospital infrastructure and are on the path to becoming doctors, can sustain themselves on such a low amount. For the past two years, interns have been consistently demanding an increase in their stipend, alleging discrimination by the Jammu and Kashmir government.
Iltija Mufti further pointed out that states like Odisha, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar have raised their medical interns’ stipends to ₹60,000 per month, yet there has been no increase in Jammu and Kashmir. Interns have been on strike for two days, causing inconvenience to patients in hospitals. They argue that their strike is justified as the government is ignoring their demands.
Questioning the government, Iltija remarked that while there is money in the treasury for increasing budgets, providing luxuries for ministers, and organizing large events, the treasury is claimed to be empty when it comes to raising the stipend for medical interns. “When it comes to the facilities for ministers and legislators, the Jammu and Kashmir treasury seems full, but it becomes empty when discussing the stipend for medical interns,” she added.
She emphasized their solidarity with the interns and assured them of full support. The entire medical infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, whether in terms of manpower or facilities, is crumbling, and the healthcare system is in dire straits.
Once again, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been urged to convene a meeting to discuss the increase in the stipend for medical interns. Iltija Mufti raised the critical question of how these young individuals can manage on ₹12,000, especially when many are assigned duties in remote areas like Budgam and Kupwara. The daily transport costs alone exceed ₹400, not to mention expenses for accommodation and food. “We are here to show solidarity with the interns and assure them that we will stand by them until they receive justice,” she concluded.
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