Ayurveda Interns Lock Ujjain Hospital, Demand Pay Equal to MBBS Counterparts

Ayurveda intern doctors at the Government Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, have escalated their week-long protest by locking the facility's main gates on Monday. The action has disrupted outpatient and inpatient services, causing significant inconvenience to patients and medical staff.

The interns are demanding their monthly stipend be increased from Rs 9,383 to Rs 21,500, arguing they perform the same duties as their MBBS counterparts but receive considerably less compensation. According to the protesters, they have been submitting petitions to the government since September 15 but have received only verbal assurances without any written confirmation of change.

Dr. Nandini Solanki, one of the protesting interns, explained that they initially kept services running during their peaceful sit-in protest. However, after seven days without official engagement or concrete responses, they felt compelled to take stricter measures. The interns have organized various protest activities including a hunger strike and blood donation drive before resorting to shutting down hospital services.

Dr. Pranjal Tiwari warned that students from other colleges would join the demonstration on October 15 if the government fails to issue a written order addressing their demands. The interns emphasized they will immediately withdraw their protest once they receive official documentation confirming the stipend revision, insisting their academic year and internship are also being affected by the ongoing dispute.