Interns on COVID-19 duty in Ujjain demand stipends

Students of a private medical college face legal action for staying away from work

Around 120 interns at a private medical college in Ujjain, where most of the city’s COVID-19 patients are being treated, have refused to perform duties until they were paid a stipend on par with interns in government institutions and they were imparted training for handling PPE kits.

The R.D. Gardi Medical College had directed interns to take up COVID-19 duties from May 22, but they have not complied with the order so far. As a result, 22 interns on the roster have received letters from the Ujjain District Collector asking them to return to work within 12 hours or face legal action.

“We are putting ourselves in such hazardous situations, in the face of the COVID-19 threat. Don’t we deserve respect and some kind of financial support at least?” asked an intern, requesting anonymity. “It is our right anyway as we are performing [regular] duties although we are students.”

The intern also alleged the college had not formally taught them the procedure to safely wear and remove personal protective equipment (PPE). “We may end up getting infected and carrying the infection to others outside the ward,” he said.

Ujjain is one of the worst-hit cities in Madhya Pradesh, with a death rate of 9.5% among its 553 COVID-19 patients. Given its proximity to Indore, which has recorded the most number of cases and fatalities in the State, health experts have suggested that a more virulent strain of the novel coronavirus is responsible for the higher number of deaths. Samples from Ujjain, Indore and the other two neighbouring districts of Dewas and Khargone have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune to identify the virus strain.

The R.D. Gardi Medical College was in the news earlier in April with officials scrambling to shore up staff the after its senior management went into quarantine and several staff members refused to attend to duties resulting in patients complaining of inadequate treatment. The situation, say district officials, has since returned to normal.

Another intern said they must be paid ₹10,500 as in government colleges. “Since we are helping combat the pandemic equally if not more, why discriminate against us, treat us like we are any less? Non-payment of stipend is discouraging for us,” she said.

Not part of policy

Stating that stipend was anyway not part of the COVID-19 policy, Additional Collector Sujan Rawat said, “It can be decided only by the management based on existing rules. Besides, interns have been covered under Mediclaim,” he said.

However, college Dean M.K. Rathore said as private colleges hadn’t been paying stipend to interns there was no question of paying it now.

“They just want to avoid duties. Many have been interning for three months, but did not raise the demand before. Only when they were put on COVID duties are they raising questions,” he said. Today, there is no law prescribing stipends for interns at private colleges.

“If doctors are scared like this, how can we combat the pandemic? Others, including senior doctors are performing duties. They must also come forward,” he added.

As for the training, Dr. Rathore said it was being imparted to everyone. “Interns are required to maintain only case sheets and take care of documentation. They don’t directly handle patients.” The college has told interns if they remained absent for duty, internship certificates cannot be issued to them

If interns were showing devotion, believes Anand Rai, part of the Indore COVID-19 combat team, then it’s the responsibility of society and the government to give them a nominal stipend at least. “Compulsory internship on a rotational basis is considered a service to the State’s people. And health is a State subject, therefore the government should pay them. Otherwise, it’s only exploitation,” he added.