Tripura: Interns hold cease work at GB Hospital, perks stalled for 4 months

Agartala, June 27: Around 100 interns at the GB Hospital in Agartala today resorted to strike and cease work against demands of immediate clearance of their pending honorarium of nearly four months.

According to reports from an employee of the State's only government medical college it is said that the institution was running around 250 regular doctors including specialists, residents and other paramedical staff and in turn a team of 100 interns were working in tandem with the regular staff round the clock on all duty stations.

As part of the curriculum, the yearlong internship is in addition to 4.5 years of studying theory for the students at the Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) housed within GB Hospital premises.

"We had resorted to indefinite cease work from duty across all wards", said an intern.

The intern further added that such incidents were common to GB Hospital. "Every year authorities withhold honorariums of interns for 4-5 months. The dues are cleared only when pressure mounts from the students in the form of disobedience or protest. What kind of a system forces upcoming doctors to disobey the law?" the aspiring doctor asked.

Another intern complained that they had to work overtime beyond the normal duty hours, duty often extend due to massive work pressure at the main referral hospital of the state.

"We are here to learn from hands on training with expert doctors. But if we are not paid our honorarium, which by the way is perhaps the least in the country, how would it work out?" the intern retorted.

"Interns who are currently serving at GB Hospital, joined in March this year and are paid Rs. 18,000 per month as honorarium for their services. With prolonged duty hours and pittance in the name of honorarium, pending dues for 3 months since March is too much", said a senior official of the health department.  He added that the pending honorarium was a deliberate error done by a group of clerical staff members at GB Hospital.

Medical Superintendent of GB Hospital Dr. Subrata Baidya was learnt to be currently out of town. Medical Super in-charge assured the protesting interns to pay all their dues within next 48 hours.

"We have withdrawn our agitation after today's demonstrations. We hope that the administration will honour its assurances", the interns said.

GB Hospital offers services across 22 departments, each of which uses medical interns every day.

TNT NEWS