Mohali- Former Punjab Health Minister and senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu has expressed deep concern over the lack of fair stipends for medical students currently undergoing internships. He said, “On one hand, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab makes grand claims about its health model, and on the other hand, this very government is exploiting hardworking young doctors during their internships. Today, fees in Punjab’s government medical colleges have soared beyond the reach of students from ordinary households.”
Drawing attention to the situation during the Congress regime, Sidhu said, “At that time, the medical college fee was only ₹4.4 lakh. But now, under Bhagwant Mann’s government, it has been raised to ₹9.5 lakh. This increase is completely unjustified.”
Targeting the AAP government further, Sidhu remarked, “The issue doesn’t end with fees alone. In 2019, the Congress government had raised the stipend for interns from ₹9,000 to ₹15,000. But it’s unfortunate that even after three years in power, the Bhagwant Mann government hasn’t increased this amount by even a single rupee. Today, these young doctors are forced to work for just ₹500 a day — the lowest rate in the entire country.”
Highlighting the conditions under which these young professionals work, Sidhu said, “These doctors are performing long, exhausting shifts ranging from 18 to 36 hours in hospitals. They are the future of our health system, yet instead of compassion, they are being mistreated.”
Speaking about the national scenario, Sidhu added, “In states like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, or even Chandigarh, interns are being paid monthly stipends between ₹30,000 and ₹35,000, and the tuition fees range between ₹3 to ₹4 lakh. This clearly shows the discrimination being faced by Punjab’s medical students.”
Questioning the AAP government, Sidhu asked, “The issue is not just about increased fees or low stipends — the real question is why a government that talks about a health model is treating medical students and young doctors so unfairly. Is this ‘model’ limited to advertisements only?”
Recalling the COVID-19 crisis, Sidhu said, “It was these very doctors who saved lives during the toughest days of the pandemic, and today, the AAP government is betraying them. The government should be ashamed of itself.”
Issuing a warning to the Punjab government, Sidhu declared, “These medical students are the future of Punjab. Justice must be done to them. Otherwise, we will continue our fight on legal, moral, and democratic fronts. I demand the government immediately reduce medical college fees to previous levels and raise the internship stipend to at least ₹30,000 per month.”