Junior doctors working with different government medical colleges and hospitals across Chhattisgarh on Thursday went on strike seeking a hike in stipend.
Under the banner of the Junior Doctor Association, the work stoppage took place in Raipur, Raigarh, Rajnandgaon, Ambikapur, Kanker, Jagdalpur and Korba.
Junior Doctors Association President Dr Prem Choudhary said the strike was called in support of four demands: intern stipend hike, post MBBS bond salary hike, PG stipend hike and post PG bond salary hike.
Dr Choudhary said the demands had been placed before the government for the last two years.
But hike took place, and there not even an annual increment. Compared to Chhattisgarh, Junior Doctors in other states were getting better stipend, he said.
Indian Medical Association (Raipur) President Dr Rakesh Gupta backed the Junior Doctors and pointed out that previous assurances given by government leaders had not been kept.
He said based on interaction with Health and Family Welfare Minister T.S. Singh Deo, the officials had been asked to send the proposal for a hike to the Finance Department but this was not done.