Resident doctors call off strike after state govt agrees to increase stipend

“This will play a pivotal role in enhancing the mental, financial and social health of each resident doctor individually as well as collectively boost the morale of all the residents,” the statement added.

President of Mard, Dr Abhijit Helge, said they were grateful to the government for taking decisive measures to fulfill the promises that were made to the Central MARD and the resident doctors in the state.

Across the state, 8,000 resident doctors, including 350 from B J Government Medical College in Pune, were on an indefinite strike from February 22 to press for their demands including need for new hostels, repairs to existing ones and regularisation of stipend payments besides a Rs 10,000 hike in stipend.

Dr Helge said the respective office bearers at the state had worked promptly to ensure that demands were executed officially. “The active participation and unity within the fraternity of resident doctors led to this unprecedented victory…,” the statement added. Earlier in Mumbai, senior doctors reported postponement of non-emergency surgeries. Despite longer queues and delayed services, no patients were turned away due to the absence of resident doctors.

With the absence of resident doctors in the OPD, the workload shifted to senior doctors, honorary staff, and interns. Deepak Jadhav, attending his child’s check-up from Kalyan, recounted receiving number 69 and waiting for over an hour. “We spent nearly two hours traveling to JJ Hospital, and then an additional hour waiting to see the doctor. Thankfully, the crowd was relatively lighter compared to weekdays, otherwise the wait would have been even more prolonged,” he said. Despite the wait, the doctors efficiently conducted the examination, prescribed medicines, and ensured no patient was denied care.

Nikita Saha, who visited the hospital with health complications related to menstrual concerns, shared that she had to wait for an hour for her turn to meet the doctor. “I visited the hospital for the first time. We were being told that due to the ongoing strike, many doctors were unavailable, so we had to wait longer,” she said. However, all the emergency services continued without any hurdle. The patients and relatives acknowledged that doctors are diligently caring for admitted patients, including those in the emergency ward. Resident doctors are actively tending to patients in the emergency ward. A senior doctor, speaking anonymously, highlighted the impact on non-emergency surgeries, noting the necessity of not only surgery residents but also anaesthesiologists and doctors from other departments.

Wards that were once filled with patients were observed to have empty beds. Multiple beds were unoccupied in both the medicine and surgery wards. Present employees noted that several individuals have been discharged. Although the workload is lighter on Saturdays, the number of patients is anticipated to rise on Mondays.