AYUSH Doctors Get 30% Less Stipend Than MBBS Doctors During Internship

AYUSH doctor interns are paid Rs 12,684 per month in national institutes under Ministry of AYUSH, whereas MBBS doctor interns are paid Rs 17,900 per month as stipend in central government institution / hospitals. Stipend for AYUSH doctors is as per last revision done in 2011. The stipends for MBBS doctors for internship was last revised in 2015.

Minister of AYUSH confirmed that there exists a difference between stipend given to AYUSH doctors during internship and stipend given to MBBS doctors during internship. However, there are no immediate plans to bring them at par.

A question was raised during ongoing Lok Sabha sessions regarding this existing discrimination and the concerned ministry was asked to answer about whether the Government has taken any steps/proposes to take any steps to give stipend to AYUSH doctors at par with MBBS doctors during internship and if so, the details thereof.

Ministers Raosaheb Danve Patil, Ganesh Singh, Kapil Moreshwar Patil had raised the questions. They were answered by Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of AYUSH.

Earlier this year, 450 AYUSH medical officers and 100 MBBS officers were engaged in Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram. It was alleged that the pay being given to AYUSH doctors was less than that of MBBS doctors. The government was then urged to revise their pay scales as per recommendations of the 10^th Pay Revision Commission.

In May, students of Shri Krishna AYUSH University raised their voices over being paid Rs 4500 only as internship stipend. Post it, the state government took the decision to increase the stipend to Rs 10000.

Internship stipend vary from state to state also; and this exists for MBBS as well as AYUSH doctors. 2700 Medical interns had protested in Maharashtra in June this year to demand a 40% increment in their stipend. They alleged that their stipend was lower than that of states like Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.

AYUSH courses taught in India at Graduate level are BAMS (Bachelor in Ayurvedic Medical Science), BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery), BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery), BSMS (Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery), BNYS (Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Science). Admission to these programs are on basis of NEET exam conducted, this year by NTA, and until last year by CBSE. All ISMH colleges offer admission to UG AYUSH programs using NEET scores. For PG programs, AIA PGET is conducted on a national level.