BS RAWAT
Resident doctors, who are the backbone of Covid care in public hospitals, have urged the Punjab government to waive their tuition fee in light of their crucial contribution to the fight against coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter sent to Punjab chief minister Amrinder Singh, the Resident Doctors Association Punjab (RDAP) has also urged him to hike their stipends as per Haryana and Delhi governments.

The doctors, who are pursuing post-graduation, have said they pay annual fee of nearly Rs 2 lakh which is the highest in the country and get meager stipend of Rs 49,000 per month.

On the other hand, post graduate junior doctors in Delhi, Haryana and PGI Chandigarh are having annual fee of around Rs 20,000 and getting stipend between Rs 80,000 to one lakh per month, the doctors alleged.

“Not only are most doctors working without offs in the state medical colleges and hospitals, we are also not being taught anything related to the specialty we had enrolled for since everybody is on Covid duty,” said Dr Nitin Chhabra, president, RDAP.

“We are cooperating with college and hospital administrations at every step, hence, we had sought a fee waiver and increase in the stipend,” he said.

RDAP representatives said stipend hike was a long standing issue, but never implemented.