SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Saturday appealed to protesting MBBS and BDS interns to resume their duties, saying their demand for an increase in stipend was under consideration and the government would not overlook their concerns.
The appeal came as the interns’ indefinite strike entered its sixth day. The interns began the strike on August 31 and are seeking an increase in their monthly stipend from around Rs 12,300 to Rs 30,000.
Itoo said the matter had progressed through the government and was presently with the Finance Department. She said clarifications sought during the process had already been provided.
“This is already under process,” Itoo told reporters on the sidelines of a Teachers’ Day event.
The minister had met representatives of the protesting interns on Friday and said the government remained open to further discussions. She urged the interns not to view the issue as a confrontation between the administration and doctors.
“It is not a matter of failure or success. Don’t make it a competition,” she said.
Itoo acknowledged the interns’ concerns and asked them to allow the government time to complete the process. Describing the protesting doctors as “our children”, she said the administration did not want them to feel ignored.
“They are our children. They are not strangers,” she said.
She added that communication with the interns remained open. “The doors of conversation are still open for them,” the minister said.
At the same time, Itoo stressed that the strike was affecting healthcare delivery and urged the interns to return to their duties. She said interns played an important role in government hospitals and that patient care could not be compromised.
“Treatment of people is very important,” she said.
“I hope that the children will come back to work,” she added.
The minister also said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had held meetings on the issue and was aware of the interns’ concerns. She assured the protesters that the government would make every effort to address their demand.
“We will definitely do whatever we can for them. We will not stay behind in that,” she said, adding that the government would fulfil the demand.
The protesting interns have argued that the existing stipend of Rs 12,300 has remained unchanged for years despite rising living costs and the responsibilities associated with internship.
Speaking separately on Teachers’ Day, Itoo said teachers played a crucial role in shaping children’s academic, social and personal development. She said their contribution extended beyond classroom teaching and was difficult to adequately quantify.
Itoo also referred to Jammu and Kashmir’s declaration as a fully literate Union Territory, saying the focus now should be on sustaining the achievement and taking further steps to strengthen the education system and advance literacy.
She said Teachers’ Day should serve as an occasion to recognise the wider role educators play in shaping successive generations.
