Over 5,000 medical students to get higher stipend: Gujarat government

The Gujarat government has increased the stipend for medical and related faculty students in the state by around 30 per cent. The announcement was made on Friday by Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Nitin Patel. The benefit will reach 5,094 students from medical, postgraduate in medical science, super specialty, dental, Ayurvedic, homeopathy, and physiotherapy areas. The government will incur the additional financial burden of Rs 70 crore annually.

Nitin Patel said, "We had received representations from different delegations of students and doctors. We have brought the standards of stipend to these students in Gujarat at par with that available to students of national institutions of medical sciences."

As per the announcement, undergraduate medical students or interns will get Rs 13,000 while students in dental studies will get Rs 12,000 and physiotherapy will get Rs 8,000 per month. Postgraduate medical students, who also serve as resident doctors will get Rs 60,000 in the first year, Rs 61,000 in the second year, Rs 62,500 in the third year and Rs 66,000 in the fourth year and clinical assistance as a monthly stipend.

Resident doctors in the dental department will get Rs 47,000 in the first year, Rs 48,500 in the second year while Rs 49,700 in the third year. Interns of Ayurvedic and homeopathy areas will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 9,000 per month.