Purnea: Doctors who recently completed their internship at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) staged a protest on Thursday, demanding the release of four months’ pending stipend and opposing instructions to vacate the hostel immediately after completing their internship.
More than a dozen former intern doctors gathered outside the office of the hospital superintendent and submitted their demands, urging the administration to release the pending stipend without further delay and allow them to continue staying in the hostel until an alternative arrangement is made.
The protesting doctors said that the internship of 97 interns concluded on June 25, but they have not yet received their stipend for the past four months. They argued that being asked to vacate the hostel before receiving their dues has placed them in a difficult financial and logistical situation.
Responding to the concerns, GMCH Superintendent Dr. Sanjay Kumar said that, as per institutional rules, doctors are required to complete the “No Dues” formalities and vacate the hostel after finishing their internship so that accommodation can be allotted to the incoming batch of interns.
He said the delay in stipend disbursement was due to technical reasons and assured the interns that the allocation process is in its final stage. According to him, the pending stipend is expected to be credited to the doctors’ bank accounts within the next one or two days.
GMCH Principal Dr. Harishankar Mishra also reiterated that hostel rooms must be vacated after the completion of the internship in accordance with existing rules. He said it is the administration’s responsibility to make hostel accommodation available for new students joining the institution.
The principal also assured the interns that the pending stipend would be released soon, adding that the payment process is nearing completion.
