Intern doctors’ allowance will be hiked soon: Health Minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen has assured postgraduate trainees and intern physicians of increasing allowance for them very soon.

“Demand for increasing allowance of post graduate trainees and intern physicians is logical. Their problem will be addressed very soon,” he said while talking to reporters on Wednesday (March 27) night.

“I am trying to find out a solution after hearing the problem of inter doctors. For this, it needs approval from the prime minister. I will talk to the prime minister on the issue,” Dr Sen said.

On March 23, trainee post-graduate and intern doctors went on 48-hour strike at all healthcare facilities across the country to press their four-point demands, including payment of arrears and allowance hike.

Protesting doctors said that many trainee doctors in many institutions were not getting allowance for the past eight months. They demanded an increase in their allowance to Tk 50,000 from existing Tk 20,000 for postgraduate trainee doctors and Tk 30,000 from Tk 15,00o for interns.

The four-point demands also include restarting allowance for resident and non-resident doctors under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and to enact a law for the prevention of violence against doctors.