House surgeons at Kannur Government Medical College staged a protest on Monday demanding the stipend that has been pending for the past four months. The college, which has 156 house surgeons in two batches, has been withholding stipends from approximately 54 house surgeons since July 2023, despite a remaining balance of ₹1,11,19,337 earmarked for stipends.
Dr. Sourabh M Sudheesh, President of the House Surgeons Association of Government Medical College, expressed dismay at the college’s stance, emphasizing that house surgeons are the lifeblood of the institution. Working grueling 36-hour shifts without food or sleep, these medical professionals play a crucial role in patient care.
Mr. Sudheesh highlighted the discriminatory practices, noting that while house surgeons from the 2017 batch receive stipends from government funds, their counterparts from the 2018 batch are denied until obtaining permission from the government or Directorate of Medical Education. Despite both batches facing the same legal circumstances in the Supreme Court regarding course fees, only one batch receives stipends, raising questions about the college’s transparency.
The President called attention to the discrepancy in funds, revealing that the college needs ₹42,12,000 for three months of stipends, while more than double that amount remains untouched in the government account. The delay in processing the Directorate of Medical Education proposal adds to the confusion, as the college fails to clarify the technical hurdles faced by the 2018 batch.
Mr. Sudheesh pointed out a KUHS order dated March 21, 2022, obliging all medical colleges to pay government medical college stipends, expressing surprise at the government institution’s violation of the directive. As the 2017 and 2018 batch course fee case remains pending in the Supreme Court, the unequal distribution of stipends persists, with the college offering no explanation for the apparent disparities