Govt. refuses 15% stipend hike citing financial situation, jr. doctors skip emergency services
Junior doctors in Andhra Pradesh are continuing their strike after the government refused a 15% stipend hike, citing financial constraints. The government has proposed a smaller annual increase, which the doctors have rejected as insufficient.
Why it matters
The strike highlights the ongoing conflict between state fiscal management and the demands of essential healthcare workers.
Even as the junior doctors in Andhra Pradesh have withdrawn from attending to emergency services in government teaching hospitals on the eighth day of their strike, the State government has reiterated that it is not inclined to implement their demand for continuation of the 15% biannual stipend hike.
In a release issued by the Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare on Monday, August 17, the government has cited the “current financial situation” of the State to decline their demand. And instead, as stated earlier, the government is proposing an annual hike of a smaller sum.
Members of the A.P. Junior Doctors’ Association and also A.P. Government Doctors’ Association have rebuffed the proposal, stating that a token increase in their stipends would be an insult to the whole medical fraternity.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in