THE REAL FACTS:an insight into our living conditions

Let’s clear the facts.

* Pay hike – For your kind information we are not paid 10, 000. Rather, it is still less. Most of us are in the age group 25 – 28 and still asking for money from our parents to fulfill our basic needs and pay our whopping fees. At the same age, people in other professions support their families. Doctors from other states are already receiving stipend as per the Central Residency Scheme since years and we are only demanding for the same.

* Working hours – There are no stipulated working hours. We work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Officially, we get only 10 days of casual leave for every 6 months and for claiming that, we have to arrange for a replacement doctor. There are no weekly offs and ward work continues on official Government holidays.

* Living conditions – We have 6 – 8 residents living in a single dingy room with no basic amenities. It is similar to living on a pavement, but with walls around. A single dirty toilet which does not even flush is shared by around 40 residents.

* Security – In spite of all this adversity, we are expected to be alert and sensitive. It is quite evident from the series of incidents of doctors getting assaulted, the kind of security that we have been provided. A single doctor has to handle around 40 – 50 patients in the ward, each having a minimum of 4 – 5 relatives.

* Doctor-Patient ratio – Kindly note that the number of patients has been increasing over the years. At the same time, the number of resident doctors has been consistently decreasing. The vacant posts remain so because of the hopeless working and living conditions.


Finally, we want to make it clear that we are not averse to working hard. We are not fighting for luxury, rather basic living conditions which a human being deserves after such hard work. Don’t we deserve some dignity, something that this profession is known for?