Muzaffarpur: Intern doctors at SKMCH in Muzaffarpur have announced a strike demanding an increase in their monthly honorarium. As a result, outpatient services (OPD) at the hospital will remain suspended on Tuesday, while emergency services will continue to operate for patients in need.
Rajesh Kumar, President of the National Medical Organization (NMO) Bihar Province, said the interns will boycott OPD duties to protest the current compensation structure. “We have formally written to Health Minister Mandal Pandey, urging the government to revise the honorarium for intern doctors,” Kumar said.
Interns argue that the current monthly honorarium of Rs 20,000 is insufficient given rising inflation and increasing workloads. They are demanding a minimum of Rs 40,000 per month from the Bihar government and health department.
Highlighting the disparity with other states, Kumar said, “Bihar offers the lowest honorarium for interns in the country. In West Bengal and Odisha, interns receive around Rs 43,000, while IGIMS Patna pays approximately Rs 30,000.”
The NMO leader also pointed to a 2014 Health Department resolution, which mandated a revision of trainees’ and postgraduate students’ honorariums every three years. “The last revision was in 2022, and there has been no update since then. This delay is forcing interns to demand a fair and timely increase,” he added.
The strike is expected to continue until the government responds to the interns’ demands, with officials urging patients to plan accordingly for OPD services in the coming days.
