Maharashtra Government Ensures Equal Stipend for MBBS Interns in Government and Private Institutes
In a landmark decision aimed at addressing long-standing disparities in stipends for medical interns, the Maharashtra government has mandated that private medical colleges pay their MBBS interns a monthly stipend of Rs18,000, equivalent to the amount received by their counterparts in government-run institutes. This directive follows a plea filed by interns from a private hospital at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, seeking parity in compensation during their compulsory rotatory residential internship (CRRI).
The state government's circular, issued on July 10, to all private medical college deans, enforces a government resolution (GR) from February, which set the stipend for government college interns at Rs18,000. This move comes over two years after the National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory body for medical education, implemented rules for CRRI, empowering appropriate authorities to determine intern compensation. Despite an NMC directive in December 2023 to ensure stipends are paid according to these rules, significant variations persisted, particularly in private institutions.
The disparity in stipends has been a contentious issue for years, affecting not only undergraduate interns but also postgraduates and senior residents. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a related plea, and in a notable interim order from October 2023, directed the Army College of Medical Sciences in New Delhi to pay its MBBS interns Rs25,000 per month following allegations of unpaid stipends. This highlighted broader systemic issues, with claims that almost 70% of medical colleges were not providing equitable stipends.
In response to these allegations, the Supreme Court tasked the NMC with presenting a comprehensive report on the stipend situation across all states. However, the findings submitted earlier this year were deemed incomplete, prompting the court to demand a detailed account within four weeks. Meanwhile, a group of 13 interns from the NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and Lata Mangeshkar Hospital approached the High Court, revealing they were receiving only Rs4,000 monthly, significantly lower than the government-mandated amount.
This new directive from the Maharashtra government is a crucial step towards ensuring fair compensation for all medical interns, regardless of their institution. It aims to rectify the economic imbalance and provide much-needed financial support to interns who play a vital role in healthcare delivery. This decision is expected to set a precedent, potentially influencing stipend policies in other states and ensuring uniformity and fairness in the medical education system across India.
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