Seven medical interns hospitalised on second day of hunger strike

Updated on: Thursday, May 05, 2011

On the second day of the strike, seven medical interns were admitted to KEM Hospital after their blood sugar levels dropped. While three of them had to be admitted to the ICU, others were taken to general wards.

The interns are demanding an increase in their monthly stipend from the existing Rs 2,200 to Rs 13,000.

Deputy dean Dr N D Bhonsale said that their condition is now stable. “They are not used to fasting. They were probably dehydrated because of the heat. But no one is in a serious condition. They are under observation,” he said.

A meeting with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday did not yield much. The interns now plan to intensify their stir if the government’s response is not positive. “If our demands are not met, then more doctors will join our strike. So far, 116 doctors have gone on strike,” said Dr Sagar Panchal, regional coordinator, Association of State Medical Interns. Yuva Sena president Aditya Thackeray supported their cause and also accompanied them to meet Chavan.

Meanwhile, a senior government official said that the government was in no mood to relent and that if the strike continued for another day or two, the state may invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).

“The fees students pay in government-run colleges is not even 5% of the total expenditure incurred by the state on each of them. And, since this is not the case with other states, it is unfair to compare Maharashtra’s stipend with other states,” the official added.

Secretary, medical education Milind Mhaiskar, said, “The interns met education minister Vijaykumar Gavit and deputy CM Ajit Pawar – who holds the finance and planning portfolio. They were also assured that their stipend would be increased to Rs 6,000. Despite this, the interns went on strike.” Interestingly, a bureaucrat said that an estimation showed that if their demands are met then it would add a financial burden of another Rs 10 crore on the state.

Seven medical interns hospitalised on second day of hunger strike

More Education news