Resident doctors working in All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, have asked AIIMS director Dr M Srinivas to provide the status of stipend of the foreign national residents in AIIMS.

In a letter signed by Dr Indra Shekhar Prasad, the president of the association, and Dr Raghunandan Dixit, general secretary, on behalf of all the resident doctors in AIIMS raising their concern regarding the non-payment of stipends of the foreign national residents at AIIMS, have asked for an urgent initiation of the disbursement of stipends to the resident doctors without further delay.

“This long-standing grievance demands immediate redressal and decisive intervention,” said Dr Prasad, in an interview with ApEx.

The resident doctors have been lamenting that they have to perform usual clinical/hospital duties as part of their courses without remuneration, while their Indian counterparts get more than InRs 100,000 for the same job.

At least 60 foreign students enrolled in MD, MS, MDS, DM and MCH courses are working as resident doctors in one of India’s top medical colleges of which most of them are Nepalis. They log 12 hours on a normal shift and have to put in 48 hours extra during emergencies, without getting paid.

“They are working in different departments and have their jobs duty hours scheduled as per the need and emergency. But they have not been provided the stipend till now,” said Dr Prasad.

As their long-pressed demand for stipend has gone unheard, resident doctors at AIIMS had earlier requested the government of Nepal to take up the matter with India. The issue however has not been resolved.

“We have asked for a stipend with the AIIMS administration on humanitarian grounds. No one should be barred from the stipend regarding their nationality and geographical location,” Dr Pradad said.

“Denial of their stipends not only undermines their morale but also tarnishes AIIMS's reputation as a beacon of medical education and equality.”

Unlike at AIIMS, Nepali students in Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry have been getting the stipend for their service.

These institutions started paying the Nepali students after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli raised the issue during his visit to India in 2020.