Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Postgraduate resident doctors at Government Medical College Handwara staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, demanding a hike in their stipends and questioning the gap between their payments and those received by postgraduate residents in other states.
“If PG residents in other states are receiving more than Rs 1 lakh, why are we being paid significantly less?” the protesting doctors asked, pressing the government to address the issue. The question captures the central grievance of the residents, who work long hours in hospital wards and emergency departments and feel that their pay does not reflect their responsibilities.
The All India Medical Students Association has extended its support to the protesting residents and called for equitable stipends for postgraduate doctors across Jammu and Kashmir. AIMSA president Dr Mohammad Momin Khan urged the government to address the demands without further delay.
He also issued a warning. If the matter remains unresolved, he said, postgraduate residents from other government medical colleges in the Union Territory could join the agitation, turning a local protest into a wider movement. AIMSA said it would continue to back the demand for fair stipends, citing the responsibilities the residents carry and their contribution to the healthcare system.
Postgraduate residents are a backbone of clinical care in teaching hospitals. They examine patients, manage emergencies, assist in surgeries and handle night duties, often while continuing their own specialist training. In a region where hospitals depend heavily on them, any prolonged disruption could affect services for patients, especially in newer institutions such as the college at Handwara, which serves the people of north Kashmir.
The demand for stipend parity is not new in the medical education community, and similar concerns have been raised in different parts of the country whenever residents feel that payments vary widely between states. In Jammu and Kashmir, the issue now comes at a time when the health system is working to expand specialist services and retain trained doctors within the Union Territory. Fair remuneration is often cited as a factor in attracting and keeping young specialists.
For now, the protest has remained peaceful, and the residents have chosen to press their case through public appeal. Whether the government responds with a review of stipends, or whether the agitation spreads to other colleges as warned, will depend on how quickly the issue is taken up. Patients and families who rely on these hospitals will be hoping for an early resolution that keeps services running smoothly.
