Jamshedpur Junior Doctors Strike Disrupts MGMMCH Services Over Stipend Hike

Jamshedpur: A strike by junior doctors at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) here from 8:30 am on Monday to press for increase in their internship stipend from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.40 lakh disrupted medical services.

Doctors called off the strike around 2 pm but OPD services were closed for the day.Over 600 patients had to return without consultation as the OPD registration counter was shut down while the gates of the building were locked by the junior doctors. Though some senior doctors were present in the OPD patients couldn’t register for treatment.“I went to the hospital to consult a gastroenterologist for a stomach-related problem but the registration counter was closed,” said Md Yusuf, a patient.Hospital authorities had put police on stand-by to open the OPD if the protesting 50-plus junior and 90 trainee doctors did not relent.Subsequently, MGMMCH principal Dr Sanjay Kumar and superintendent Dr Balram Jha held two back-to-back meetings with the representatives of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) and convinced them to end the strike.“The govt is seriously looking into their demands and it is just a matter of time before they are approved,” said Jha.

Hospital sources said the health authorities have assured the junior doctors that the stipend hike will be approved in the next cabinet meeting.“We called off the strike on the assurance of the principal and superintendent,” said JDA secretary Dr Kunal.