OPD Services Hit: Madhya Pradesh Junior Doctors On Strike Over Stipend Delay

Bhopal:

Healthcare services across government medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh were disrupted on Monday after nearly 8,000 junior doctors went on strike over the non-implementation of a long-pending stipend revision. The strike, called by the Junior Doctors Association (JDA), began at 9 am and has affected routine services, including OPD consultations and elective surgeries, in medical colleges across Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Sagar and Khandwa.

The doctors say the stipend revision linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was supposed to be implemented from April 1, 2025, under a government order, but even after repeated representations, no decision has been taken. As a result, resident doctors, senior residents and interns across the state have stopped routine services, though emergency care continues.

Dr Yashveer Gurjar, Vice President of the Junior Doctors Association, said the protest has strong support across all government medical colleges. "The dialogue is ongoing, but gradually everyone will join. This movement will reach a much higher level. Government medical colleges in Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa, Sagar and Khandwa are all united. We are one organisation, and everyone's voice is together," he said.

The protesting doctors say their only demand is the implementation of the government order and payment of pending arrears from April 2025.

Emphasising the role of resident doctors in running hospitals, Dr Gurjar said junior doctors are the backbone of the medical system. 

"The junior doctor is the link that keeps the hospital functioning. Senior doctors come, take rounds and leave, but junior doctors stay in the hospital round the clock. They handle responsibilities and patient care continuously. In many ways, junior doctors are the backbone of the entire medical system," he said.

Despite the strike, doctors insist that critical care will not be affected. "Emergency services are fully operational. We will not compromise on any life-saving treatment. If a surgery is critical, it will be performed. We understand our responsibility as doctors, and patients in emergency situations will not suffer," Dr Gurjar added.

However, the strike has already begun affecting patients waiting for routine treatment. Several patients at Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal said they had been waiting for hours for medical attention.

Gulabchand Sahu, who arrived with severe knee pain, said he came early in the morning only to learn about the strike and could get only a prescription and medicines. Sonu Vishwakarma, who travelled from Damoh for treatment, said he had been waiting since morning without getting his admission papers processed. Another patient, Saurav Rajak, who had an insect bite on his leg, said he had to wait nearly five hours before getting a wheelchair.

The strike has already begun affecting patients waiting for routine treatment.

Tanveer, another patient waiting outside the hospital, said he had been wandering around the hospital premises since morning due to leg pain but was unable to access treatment.

Doctors say the agitation comes after repeated assurances from the government fail to translate into action.

Dr Mahendra Pratap, president of the Junior Doctors Association in Madhya Pradesh, said the issue dates back to commitments made after the 2021 strike. "In 2021, when we went on strike, the stipend was only 55,000 rupees. After the protest, the government increased it to 65,000 and assured us that the stipend would be revised every year in April based on the Consumer Price Index. However, the revision due in April 2025 was never implemented. We repeatedly wrote letters to the minister and the administration, but nothing happened. After waiting for nearly a year, we had no option but to begin protests," he said.

Doctors initially launched a symbolic protest by wearing black bands for three days while continuing their duties. When no response came from the government, they escalated the agitation into a strike.

Under the strike plan, doctors will continue emergency services and treat critically ill patients but will boycott all elective services, including outpatient departments and routine surgeries. This means procedures such as hernia operations and rod implant surgeries may be postponed across government medical colleges.

According to medical experts, resident doctors handle nearly 70 per cent of the workload in government medical colleges, including patient monitoring, ward management and emergency care.

The protesting doctors say their only demand is the implementation of the government order and payment of pending arrears from April 2025.

Meanwhile, the government has initiated dialogue with the doctors. Dr Gurjar said the Commissioner of Medical Education, S Dhanraju, met the protesting doctors and assured them that the issue would be addressed. "The Commissioner of Medical Education met us directly and assured us that the matter is being taken seriously. We have conveyed that we need a firm commitment because we have received assurances many times before," he said.

A delegation of the Junior Doctors Association led by JDA Jabalpur President Dr Shubham Sharma is scheduled to meet Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla to discuss the issue.

The doctors say if the government takes a clear decision soon, the strike can be called off. However, if their demands remain unaddressed, the agitation may intensify across medical colleges in the state.