HYDERABAD: Ending a long-standing disparity in remuneration between AYUSH and allopathic medical trainees, the state government has raised the stipends of House Surgeons and postgraduate students in Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani and Naturopathy, bringing them on par with their allopathic counterparts.
The decision was notified through Government Order (GO Rt. No. 356), issued by Health Secretary Dr Christina Z Chongthu on Tuesday. The revised stipends will benefit 798 AYUSH students in government institutions, including 405 house surgeons and 393 postgraduate students.
The decision follows a prolonged agitation by AYUSH doctors and students demanding stipend parity. The Telangana AYUSH Joint Action Committee had launched an indefinite agitation in August, initially at government AYUSH institutions before intensifying the protest at the AYUSH commissionerate in Secunderabad.
The protesters had argued that they were performing duties comparable to those of allopathic medical trainees while receiving substantially lower stipends. By August 26, the agitation had entered its 22nd day.
The protest subsequently led to discussions with Health Minister C Damodar Rajanarsimha, who assured representatives that the government would take a positive decision on the demand and issue the necessary orders.
Following the assurance, the protesting AYUSH students, house surgeons and PG doctors called off their strike while awaiting the formal GO.