To,
Dr K Sudhakar - Minister of Medical Education of Karnataka, B.S Yeddyurappa, Chief Minister, Karnataka
Dr Prashanth Shetty, Vice President, AJ Medical College
Dr Prabhakar G, Principal, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Institute
UPDATE: June 2021
We want to pursue this campaign and go all out with our team as we reach out to decision-makers in our capacity. We will be calling and writing to the ministries weekly, just like we did for our campaigns where public pressure made authorities sit up and take action.
While we reach out to decision-makers, we also want to ensure that doctors have access to mental health care as they work long hours on cases that often involve a lot of grief and trauma. To create this space, we are sending notes to them personally with a signup link for free counselling sessions.
In this one year, I have spoken to doctors who have told me how they find it demotivating to work when they know that they are being denied the basic right of stipend. It’s not fair to the Most Valuable Force in the pandemic.
We care for the mental health of our doctors and therefore, have teamed up with the Centre for Social Research and Development (CSRD).
These counselling sessions can create a safe space for them to talk about the issues they have been facing as a collective group.
Support us to build stronger mental for our doctors.
UPDATE: 31 March 2021
We have an update on our Doctors’ Stipend Campaign! While you continued to support us online, I visited K’taka Medical Minister Dr K Sudhakar’s office at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Delhi to take our demands forward for the release of stipend for doctors in Karnataka.
This is how we use digital campaigning to create change -- members like you come together and sign our petitions, and then we go to meet ministers to let them know what citizens want from them. We then continue following up with them by regularly emailing and calling them.
Keep signing and supporting us with donations. Every penny counts.
UPDATE: 03 February 2021
Doctors in Karnataka fought and are fighting the pandemic battle while they are heavily underpaid.
In May 2020, the Karnataka government had declared that the stipends of doctors across private and public colleges should be at ₹45,000, ₹50,000 and ₹55,000 for first, second and third year respectively. However, most private colleges in Karnataka have not followed this order.
We will not take this discrepancy lying down. We can easily bring this into the notice of the Minister of Medical Education in Karnataka to make sure that colleges comply with the order.
I would take this opportunity to tell you campaign pressure and doctors' initiative led to Dr K Sudhakar assuring medical students of JJM College in Devanahalli that the government will cover their 16-month long stipend. In addition to this, doctors from AJ Medical College in Mangalore received payment due in April 2020.
It's time to ramp up the pressure and your support to doctors is just a click away. Sign the petition today!
UPDATE: 16 October 2020
After months of campaigning for revised stipend release for doctors in three private medical colleges in Karnataka, we have news to share.
Karnataka Government announced the release of 16-month due stipend at JJM College. During about the same time, AJ Medical College has cleared stipend dues pending since May for their resident doctors.
This happened after doctors raised their voices, protested despite their hectic and high-risk work schedule -- and when members like you supported them with your signature via Jhatkaa.org.
As a campaigner, I have been pushing our collective demands to the Ministry of Medical Education. With these victories, it is evident that the government is listening and the colleges are facing the heat.
Do pitch in with your signatures so that we can sustain the pressure on college managements to compensate the Covid warriors fairly going ahead.
UPDATE: 28 Aug 2020
Over 1,300 citiznes signed the petition asking Minister of Medical Education, Karnataka Dr K Sudhakar to get doctors their due stipend in private colleges.
Their collective efforts worked. Doctors at JJM Medical College, Devanagiri got official confirmation that the Medical Ministry of K'taka will cover their 16-month due stipend.
We still have doctors at private colleges like AJ Medical Institute and Research Centre and Vydehi Institute Of Medical Sciences And Research Centre waiting for their full stipend.
Sign this petition to maintain the pressure while we reach out to these colleges and Medical Ministry. This victory came by after you and 1,300 more citizens came forward to sign the petition. This happened because of the resilient strike that doctors at JJM College held up.
This also happened because we, at Jhatkaa.org, could take your signatures to the Ministry of Medical Education's office. That's an example of public pressure working right there.
Let's make it happen for doctors at AJ Medical Institute and Research Centre and Vydehi Institute Of Medical Sciences And Research Centre as well. Sign the petition today.
UPDATE: 17 July 2020
I spoke to the Personal Secretary of Minister of Medical Education Dr Sudhakar Rao.
“The government colleges have already released the revised stipend. We are aware that private colleges are taking time. We will react to the complaints posed in this regard.”
The ministry is finally listening to us! This is the time we push them relentlessly to take necessary and immediate action. We have a potential victory for the doctors here. However, not without your support. Do your bit for the country's doctors.
The post-graduates at JJM college have been on strike for more than 15 days now. They are managing their duties along with the persistent strike. The strike has reaped in the result. Dr Sudhakar's office has committed to release the stipend for the students.
We, at Jhatkaa.org, are committed to take these voices to the authorities through social media, on-ground reporting and active engagements with the decision makers.
We are a small team of determined individuals amplifying the battle our doctors are forced to fight. Thus, your pitches and signatures will go a long way for us.
Let’s do it for our doctors so that they can help us better.
UPDATE: 20 June 2020
It’s been months that the critical force behind the covid fight, our doctors, are overworked and underpaid.
Among the worst hit are the postgraduate resident doctors in private colleges. It took many strikes by doctors across Karnataka and by United Resident and Doctor's Association to push the government to revise their stipends after four long years, which ideally should have been done each year.
However, let alone the revised stipend -- residents doctors in private colleges/hospitals have non been paid for months and in some cases are being paid partial stipends. There are many instances where colleges demand the stipends back at the end of the course. It is unfair.
Ask Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr. Keshavareddy Sudhakar to ramp up execution of his authorised payment for Karnataka doctors.
We also need to understand that these practicing doctors depend on the colleges to give their degrees. As open strikes can be used as an excuse for the college to withhold their certificated them, they face more difficulties to speak up.
However, we don’t face such threats. Let’s come together on their behalf and send the reality report to the Medical Education Ministry.
We need strong, healthy and fulfilled doctor force if we intend to win the battle against Corona, or any other health indiscrepancies.
The open strikes by our doctors have led to the long-due stipend hike. It’s unfair to not push them to the corner that they need to go on strikes. Let’s support them so that they can help us better.
P.S: This campaign calls for the solidarity of the doctors across the country to fight for their rights. You can utilise this petition to raise your concerns so that we can take your voices to the government and respective college administrations.
Sources:
'In war, you don't make soldiers unhappy': Supreme Court on non-payment of salaries to doctors - Times of India
Karnataka Govt Hikes Stipend Of Resident Doctors After Protest - The Logical Indian
May 2020
Resident doctors in Delhi are paid INR 80,000 per month, Maharashtra pays INR 55,000 and Kerala pays it’s Resident doctors INR 50,000. Whereas, Karnataka pays a meagre INR 30,000 per month to resident doctors who also have to shoulder fees upto 1,30,000 along with other living expenses like Hostel fees, Books, Monthly fees, transport etc.
Speaking to the Quint, one of the members of Resident Doctors’ Association said, “PPE feels like a coffin, we are all entering coffins so others don’t have to. For all this, what we demand is basic human rights, treat us like humans. Every human needs decent living.”
The last stipend hike happened 5 years ago in 2015! Minister for Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar on Tuesday (5th May 2020) directed the Medical Education Department to consider the request made by the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) to increase the stipend. But nothing has been heard so far.
Sign this petition to Ask the Minister of Medical Education and CM of Bengaluru to immediately
1. Take action to clear the dues owed to Resident Doctors immediately
2. Increase the stipend of resident doctors in Karnataka, to not just compensate equitably for the work but also to bring it at par with that of other states so that our Heroes live a life of pride and dignity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiSCNKMY3VQ
https://www.rguhs.ac.in/scroll2020/Salary_covid19.pdf
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EXYm0iDUwAEUuvp.jpg
To,
Dr K Sudhakar - Minister of Medical Education of Karnataka, B.S Yeddyurappa, Chief Minister, Karnataka
Dr Prashanth Shetty, Vice President, AJ Medical College
Dr Prabhakar G, Principal, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Institute
UPDATE: June 2021
We want to pursue this campaign and go all out with our team as we reach out to decision-makers in our capacity. We will be calling and writing to the ministries weekly, just like we did for our campaigns where public pressure made authorities sit up and take action.
While we reach out to decision-makers, we also want to ensure that doctors have access to mental health care as they work long hours on cases that often involve a lot of grief and trauma. To create this space, we are sending notes to them personally with a signup link for free counselling sessions.
In this one year, I have spoken to doctors who have told me how they find it demotivating to work when they know that they are being denied the basic right of stipend. It’s not fair to the Most Valuable Force in the pandemic.
We care for the mental health of our doctors and therefore, have teamed up with the Centre for Social Research and Development (CSRD).
These counselling sessions can create a safe space for them to talk about the issues they have been facing as a collective group.
Support us to build stronger mental for our doctors.
UPDATE: 31 March 2021
We have an update on our Doctors’ Stipend Campaign! While you continued to support us online, I visited K’taka Medical Minister Dr K Sudhakar’s office at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Delhi to take our demands forward for the release of stipend for doctors in Karnataka.
This is how we use digital campaigning to create change -- members like you come together and sign our petitions, and then we go to meet ministers to let them know what citizens want from them. We then continue following up with them by regularly emailing and calling them.
Keep signing and supporting us with donations. Every penny counts.
UPDATE: 03 February 2021
Doctors in Karnataka fought and are fighting the pandemic battle while they are heavily underpaid.
In May 2020, the Karnataka government had declared that the stipends of doctors across private and public colleges should be at ₹45,000, ₹50,000 and ₹55,000 for first, second and third year respectively. However, most private colleges in Karnataka have not followed this order.
We will not take this discrepancy lying down. We can easily bring this into the notice of the Minister of Medical Education in Karnataka to make sure that colleges comply with the order.
I would take this opportunity to tell you campaign pressure and doctors' initiative led to Dr K Sudhakar assuring medical students of JJM College in Devanahalli that the government will cover their 16-month long stipend. In addition to this, doctors from AJ Medical College in Mangalore received payment due in April 2020.
It's time to ramp up the pressure and your support to doctors is just a click away. Sign the petition today!
UPDATE: 16 October 2020
After months of campaigning for revised stipend release for doctors in three private medical colleges in Karnataka, we have news to share.
Karnataka Government announced the release of 16-month due stipend at JJM College. During about the same time, AJ Medical College has cleared stipend dues pending since May for their resident doctors.
This happened after doctors raised their voices, protested despite their hectic and high-risk work schedule -- and when members like you supported them with your signature via Jhatkaa.org.
As a campaigner, I have been pushing our collective demands to the Ministry of Medical Education. With these victories, it is evident that the government is listening and the colleges are facing the heat.
Do pitch in with your signatures so that we can sustain the pressure on college managements to compensate the Covid warriors fairly going ahead.
UPDATE: 28 Aug 2020
Over 1,300 citiznes signed the petition asking Minister of Medical Education, Karnataka Dr K Sudhakar to get doctors their due stipend in private colleges.
Their collective efforts worked. Doctors at JJM Medical College, Devanagiri got official confirmation that the Medical Ministry of K'taka will cover their 16-month due stipend.
We still have doctors at private colleges like AJ Medical Institute and Research Centre and Vydehi Institute Of Medical Sciences And Research Centre waiting for their full stipend.
Sign this petition to maintain the pressure while we reach out to these colleges and Medical Ministry. This victory came by after you and 1,300 more citizens came forward to sign the petition. This happened because of the resilient strike that doctors at JJM College held up.
This also happened because we, at Jhatkaa.org, could take your signatures to the Ministry of Medical Education's office. That's an example of public pressure working right there.
Let's make it happen for doctors at AJ Medical Institute and Research Centre and Vydehi Institute Of Medical Sciences And Research Centre as well. Sign the petition today.
UPDATE: 17 July 2020
I spoke to the Personal Secretary of Minister of Medical Education Dr Sudhakar Rao.
“The government colleges have already released the revised stipend. We are aware that private colleges are taking time. We will react to the complaints posed in this regard.”
The ministry is finally listening to us! This is the time we push them relentlessly to take necessary and immediate action. We have a potential victory for the doctors here. However, not without your support. Do your bit for the country's doctors.
The post-graduates at JJM college have been on strike for more than 15 days now. They are managing their duties along with the persistent strike. The strike has reaped in the result. Dr Sudhakar's office has committed to release the stipend for the students.
We, at Jhatkaa.org, are committed to take these voices to the authorities through social media, on-ground reporting and active engagements with the decision makers.
We are a small team of determined individuals amplifying the battle our doctors are forced to fight. Thus, your pitches and signatures will go a long way for us.
Let’s do it for our doctors so that they can help us better.
UPDATE: 20 June 2020
It’s been months that the critical force behind the covid fight, our doctors, are overworked and underpaid.
Among the worst hit are the postgraduate resident doctors in private colleges. It took many strikes by doctors across Karnataka and by United Resident and Doctor's Association to push the government to revise their stipends after four long years, which ideally should have been done each year.
However, let alone the revised stipend -- residents doctors in private colleges/hospitals have non been paid for months and in some cases are being paid partial stipends. There are many instances where colleges demand the stipends back at the end of the course. It is unfair.
Ask Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr. Keshavareddy Sudhakar to ramp up execution of his authorised payment for Karnataka doctors.
We also need to understand that these practicing doctors depend on the colleges to give their degrees. As open strikes can be used as an excuse for the college to withhold their certificated them, they face more difficulties to speak up.
However, we don’t face such threats. Let’s come together on their behalf and send the reality report to the Medical Education Ministry.
We need strong, healthy and fulfilled doctor force if we intend to win the battle against Corona, or any other health indiscrepancies.
The open strikes by our doctors have led to the long-due stipend hike. It’s unfair to not push them to the corner that they need to go on strikes. Let’s support them so that they can help us better.
P.S: This campaign calls for the solidarity of the doctors across the country to fight for their rights. You can utilise this petition to raise your concerns so that we can take your voices to the government and respective college administrations.
Sources:
'In war, you don't make soldiers unhappy': Supreme Court on non-payment of salaries to doctors - Times of India
Karnataka Govt Hikes Stipend Of Resident Doctors After Protest - The Logical Indian
May 2020
Resident doctors in Delhi are paid INR 80,000 per month, Maharashtra pays INR 55,000 and Kerala pays it’s Resident doctors INR 50,000. Whereas, Karnataka pays a meagre INR 30,000 per month to resident doctors who also have to shoulder fees upto 1,30,000 along with other living expenses like Hostel fees, Books, Monthly fees, transport etc.
Speaking to the Quint, one of the members of Resident Doctors’ Association said, “PPE feels like a coffin, we are all entering coffins so others don’t have to. For all this, what we demand is basic human rights, treat us like humans. Every human needs decent living.”
The last stipend hike happened 5 years ago in 2015! Minister for Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar on Tuesday (5th May 2020) directed the Medical Education Department to consider the request made by the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) to increase the stipend. But nothing has been heard so far.
Sign this petition to Ask the Minister of Medical Education and CM of Bengaluru to immediately
1. Take action to clear the dues owed to Resident Doctors immediately
2. Increase the stipend of resident doctors in Karnataka, to not just compensate equitably for the work but also to bring it at par with that of other states so that our Heroes live a life of pride and dignity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiSCNKMY3VQ
https://www.rguhs.ac.in/scroll2020/Salary_covid19.pdf
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EXYm0iDUwAEUuvp.jpg
Next step - spread the word
Release stipend for our doctors - #PayOurDoctors
