Around 600 graduate resident doctors at 4 Uttarakhand government medical colleges are continuing their work boycott over a demand to raise their monthly stipend to ₹1 lakh. The protest has begun affecting outpatient consultations and routine surgeries, although emergency services are being kept operational, according to the doctors.
The affected institutions are government medical colleges in Dehradun, Haldwani, Almora and Srinagar. At Haldwani’s Government Medical College and its associated Sushila Tiwari Hospital (STH), the strike entered its sixth consecutive day on Monday.
Patients face delays at Sushila Tiwari Hospital
Patients arriving at STH for consultations and investigations have faced longer waits during the protest. Some people who reached the hospital for scheduled routine operations were reportedly given later dates because the procedures could not proceed as planned.
STH is a major government hospital for Kumaon. It serves patients from Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, Champawat and nearby hill areas. The disruption therefore affects people who may have travelled long distances for specialist treatment.
The work boycott has mainly affected regular hospital services. Doctors have said emergency care is not part of the strike, allowing urgent cases to continue receiving attention. However, the interruption of outpatient work and planned operations has placed additional pressure on the hospital’s normal functioning.
Doctors seek revision after a decade
The protesting resident doctors say their stipend has not been increased in the past 10 years. They currently receive about ₹62,000 a month, which they consider inadequate in view of their responsibilities, workload and expenses during training.
Their principal demand is a monthly stipend of at least ₹1 lakh. The doctors also say graduate residents in several other states receive higher remuneration, strengthening their case for a revision in Uttarakhand.
graduate residents combine medical training with hospital duties. Their absence from routine services has consequently affected consultations and planned procedures across the 4 government medical colleges, while emergency care remains the stated priority.
Wider pressure on medical colleges
The stipend dispute follows earlier protests by intern doctors. Nursing and paramedical students have also been agitating for higher stipends, adding to the pressure on the state’s medical colleges and hospitals.
The resident doctors have remained firm on their demand and said the movement will continue until they receive a concrete assurance. The available information does not indicate that a final agreement has been reached between the doctors and the authorities.
For patients, the immediate concern is the restoration of poned operations and regular outpatient care. A resolution between the government and resident doctors would be needed for those services to return to normal.
Conclusion
The strike by around 600 PG resident doctors has disrupted OPD services and routine operations at 4 Uttarakhand government medical colleges, while emergency services are reported to continue. The next key step is a concrete response on the demand for a ₹1 lakh monthly stipend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many doctors are participating in the strike?
Around 600 graduate resident doctors at 4 Uttarakhand government medical colleges are participating in the work boycott.
Q. Which medical colleges are affected?
The affected government medical colleges are in Dehradun, Haldwani, Almora and Srinagar.
Q. What is the doctors’ main demand?
The resident doctors want their monthly stipend increased to at least ₹1 lakh.
Q. How much stipend do they currently receive?
They say they currently receive about ₹62,000 per month.
Q. Which hospital has reported the strongest impact?
The strongest impact has been reported at Sushila Tiwari Hospital, associated with Haldwani’s Government Medical College.
Q. Which services have been affected?
Outpatient consultations and several routine operations have been affected, with some scheduled procedures poned.
Q. Are emergency services operating?
Doctors have said emergency services have been kept outside the strike and continue to operate.
Q. Why is the disruption significant for Kumaon?
Sushila Tiwari Hospital receives patients from Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, Champawat and nearby hill areas, including people from distant hill communities.
Q. How long has the Haldwani strike continued?
The strike at Sushila Tiwari Hospital continued for the sixth day on Monday.
