karnataka-resident-docs-launch-indefinite-protest-from-mon

The Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) has initiated a protest in response to what they describe as the state government’s continued inaction on their repeated appeals for fairer stipends and improved working conditions. 

 

KARD represents interns, postgraduates, super-speciality residents, and senior residents from government medical colleges in Karnataka.

 

Their main grievances include the high fees for postgraduate and super-speciality courses — Rs 1.13 lakh and Rs 2.27 lakh per year, respectively — coupled with relatively low monthly stipends. Postgraduate students receive between Rs 45,000 and Rs 55,000, while super-speciality students get between Rs 55,000 and Rs 65,000. 

 

In contrast, resident doctors in institutions like AIIMS, Delhi, and in Mumbai earn significantly higher stipends, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 90,000 per month, respectively.

 

KARD President Dr Sirish Shivaramaiah highlighted the heavy workload, with doctors working 70-80 hours a week, yet earning relatively little in return. The doctors are demanding a stipend revision that takes inflation into account, noting that the last revision took place in May 2020. 

 

Despite repeated communications to the Department of Medical Education and other relevant officials since June of the previous year, their concerns remain unaddressed.

 

While the protest is ongoing, KARD has assured that emergency services, including casualty wards, labour wards, and ICUs, will continue to function without disruption. 

 

However, outpatient departments (OPDs) will not have resident doctors. The association expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to patients and the public, emphasising that their demands are focused on ensuring a fair and just stipend structure.

 

The protest is set to begin at Freedom Park, where resident doctors will also express their condolences for the woman trainee doctor who was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed inside a government-run hospital in Kolkata on August 9.