Seven med interns hospitalized on second day of hunger strike

MUMBAI: On the second day of the strike, seven medical interns were admitted to KEM Hospital after their blood sugar levels dropped. While three of them had to be admitted to the ICU, others were taken to general wards. The interns are demanding an increasein their monthly stipend from the existing Rs 2,200 to Rs 13,000.Deputy dean Dr N D Bhonsale said that their condition is now stable."They are not used to fasting. They were probably dehydrated because of theheat. But no one is in a serious condition. They are under observation," hesaid. A meeting with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday didnot yield much. The interns now plan to intensify their stir if thegovernment’s response is not positive. "If our demands are not met, thenmore doctors will join our strike. So far, 116 doctors have gone on strike,"said Dr Sagar Panchal, regional coordinator, Association of State MedicalInterns . Yuva Sena president Aditya Thackeray supported their cause and alsoaccompanied them to meet Chavan.Meanwhile, a senior governmentofficial said that the government was in no mood to relent and that if thestrike continued for another day or two, the state may invoke the EssentialServices Maintenance Act (ESMA). "The fees students pay ingovernment-run colleges is not even 5% of the total expenditure incurred by thestate on each of them. And, since this is not the case with other states, it isunfair to compare Maharashtra’s stipend with other states," the officialadded.>Secretary, medical education Milind Mhaiskar, said, "Theinterns met education minister Vijaykumar Gavit and deputy CM AjitPawar—who holds the finance and planning portfolio. They were also assuredthat their stipend would be increased to Rs 6,000. Despite this , the internswent on strike." Interestingly, a bureaucrat said that an estimation showed thatif their demands are met then it would add a financial burden of another Rs 10crore on the state.