Resident docs warn BMC of strike from July 22 if demands not met

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) oversees four medical colleges and hospitals – KEM, Sion, Nair, and Cooper – where about 8,000 outpatients are treated daily.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), in a letter to BMC and the medical colleges, warned of the strike if their demands are not addressed by July 22.

According to the resident doctors, the acute shortage of hostel accommodation is becoming a pressing issue with the incoming batch of residents in August 2024, leaving current and new residents without adequate housing.

“The failure to update Dearness Allowance from 412% to 427% as per the November 23, 2023 Government Resolution has exacerbated financial strains,” said a MARD representative.

Additionally, stipend discrepancies in peripheral BMC hospitals need prompt resolution.

The resident doctors emphasised that junior doctors in peripheral hospitals, receiving approximately Rs. 70,000 monthly, seek salary parity with private sectors to retain talent in public healthcare. “BMC continues to hold discussions with the doctors but no resolution has been reached,” said an civic official.