DTMT Network
Mangaluru: Medical interns and post-graduate doctors in Karnataka are protesting once again to demand the payment of  their 11 months’ pending salary.

Dr Siddharth Shankar at Wenlock District Hospital, Mangaluru, said, “Our batch of students expected that we would be paid by Karnataka Health Department but we have not received payments for the last 11 months.”

He said, "Earlier, we approached the Department of Medical Education (DME) with documents. We have received only oral assurances. No action was taken in that regard."

While 54 medical interns in Wenlock District Hospital, Regional Advanced Pediatric Care Centre (RAPCC) and Lady Goschen Hospital held a silent protest in Mangaluru, 97 interns and 133 post-graduate doctors serving in Chigateri District Hospital and Women Child Hospital too protested over the same issue.

The interns and post-graduate students study at Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru and JJM Medical College in Davangere. In their absence, services in sections of the hospitals including casualty, ICU, labour, out-patient department, medicine department, and operating rooms, were affected.

Medical interns are paid Rs. 20,000 in monthly wages, while post-graduate students are paid Rs. 30,000, Rs. 35,000 and Rs. 40,000 in their first, second and third years respectively.