In a stark display of injustice and neglect, MBBS interns across medical colleges in Bihar continue to receive a meager stipend of just ₹20,000 per month — a sum that pales in comparison not only to their counterparts in other Indian states but even to wages earned by daily wage workers like car drivers, painters, and laborers.
This issue has now been formally raised by MBBS interns and the Indian Medical Association – Junior Doctors’ Network (IMA JDN), Bihar Chapter, through a letter dated 7th August 2025, addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health, Government of Bihar. The letter seeks a revision of the existing honorarium for MBBS interns, citing rising inflation, cost of living, and workload faced by interns during their rigorous year-long internship.
Unfair Pay After Years of Dedication
Medical students in India undergo a minimum of 5.5 years of intensive training, including a 1-year mandatory rotating internship, during which MBBS interns work in hospitals round-the-clock — taking patient histories, assisting surgeries, working in emergency rooms, and doing night duties, often at the cost of their own mental and physical health. Yet, these interns in Bihar are being paid less than what many unskilled or semi-skilled workers earn.
To draw a comparison:
- West Bengal and Odisha pay their MBBS interns approximately ₹43,000/month.
- IGIMS Patna, a premier institute functioning under the Bihar government, offers ₹30,000/month to MBBS interns.
- But the rest of the government medical colleges in Bihar still stick to ₹20,000/month, last revised in 2021, with no increase in the past four years — violating Resolution No. 125(1) dated 20.02.2014, which mandates stipend revision every three years.
Stipend Less Than Livelihood Wages
Today, in cities like Patna:
- A car driver earns between ₹25,000–₹30,000/month.
- Daily wage laborers often make ₹800–₹1,200/day, which can go beyond ₹30,000/month.
- Skilled workers like painters or electricians easily cross ₹35,000–₹40,000/month.
This comparison is not to undermine other professions but to highlight how underpaid our budding doctors are — despite the critical responsibilities they shoulder.
IMA JDN Bihar has placed a reasonable and justified demand:
- Increase the MBBS intern stipend to a minimum of ₹40,000/month
- Ensure timely enhancement and dispersal
- Implement the revision in compliance with previously set government resolutions
This demand is not merely financial but moral and dignified, aiming to restore faith among young medical professionals who are often demotivated by systemic apathy.
Time for the Government to Act
As healthcare systems in Bihar rely heavily on the contribution of interns and junior doctors, it is only fair to ensure that their basic financial and professional dignity is upheld. Ignoring their concerns not only leads to brain drain but also to burnout, demoralization, and a dangerous dip in healthcare delivery quality.
If we entrust these interns with lives, the least we can do is pay them enough to sustain their own.
Conclusion
This is not just about money. It’s about respect, acknowledgment, and justice. The Bihar Government must act — not just to meet demands but to fulfill its responsibility toward those who dedicate their lives to saving others.
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