Telangana: Private Medicos Protest for Stipend
The protest was sparked by the continued violation of GO 59, issued in November 2023, which states that all junior doctors, regardless of their institution, are entitled to equal stipends. Many private medical colleges have failed to comply, leaving interns and postgraduates unpaid for months.
Hyderabad: Junior doctors from private medical colleges across Telangana wore black badges on Saturday in protest the denial of mandatory stipends, despite a clear government order on equal pay with their government college counterparts.
The protest was sparked by the continued violation of GO 59, issued in November 2023, which states that all junior doctors, regardless of their institution, are entitled to equal stipends. Many private medical colleges have failed to comply, leaving interns and postgraduates unpaid for months.
“This isn’t just unfair, it’s illegal. We’re working the same hours, handling the same patients, and contributing just as much to the system as our peers in government colleges,” said Dr Pooja R., a final-year postgraduate from a private medical college in Hyderabad.
Despite repeated representations to health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha, Director of Medical Education, and the Telangana State Medical Council, junior doctors say no action has been taken against the private colleges flouting the order.
Dr Shaikh Imran who was leading protests in Warangal, told Deccan Chronicle, “Many of us are first-generation learners paying heavy fees. Not getting a stipend makes it harder to even afford basic expenses.”
Members of TJUDA and TSRDA have backed the protest, warning that doctors will intensify their agitation if the government does not intervene. Protestors across Hyderabad, Nizamabad, and Khammam stood in hospitals wearing black badges, calling it a silent but strong demand to enforce the law or face a healthcare workforce in distress.
