VIJAYAWADA: Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav on Thursday informed representatives of the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) that the State government cannot grant a 15% stipend increase due to severe financial constraints.
During a meeting at the Legislative Assembly premises, the Minister appealed to the junior doctors to reconsider their strike demand and return to work immediately to avoid disrupting patient care across government hospitals.
While standing firm on the stipend cap, he addressed the delegation’s concerns regarding faculty retirement ages and non-clinical postings.
Following a decision taken by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, house surgeons (interns) will receive a 5% stipend increase for the current year, followed by an annual 3% increase starting next year, while postgraduates (PG) and Super-Specialty PG students will receive a 3% annual increase.
Addressing rumours regarding faculty retirement extensions, the Minister confirmed that the government has no proposal under consideration to increase the retirement age for medical college professors. He clarified that a potential extension for super-speciality doctors was merely discussed during a review meeting to address critical vacancies, adding that no decisions would be taken without prior consultation with the medical community.
Addressing concerns over appointing M.Sc (Medical Physics) candidates to non-clinical posts, the Minister stated that such measures are considered strictly in accordance with NMC guidelines when positions in remote teaching hospitals remain unfilled, urging junior doctors not to harbor anxieties over the issue.
The JUDA delegation—led by President Dr Y Eswara Shankar and Vice President G Bhargava Sai Naidu—submitted a memorandum reiterating their demands.
Acknowledging that the services of junior doctors in public hospitals are indispensable, the Minister expressed sympathy toward their grievances but reiterated that economic realities limit further financial commitments, emphasizing that the government remains open to further discussions provided patient services remain unhindered.
However, when contacted by the TNIE, members of the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) stated that their meeting with the Health Minister remained inconclusive. They noted that the Minister assured them he would take up their demands with the Finance Department once again and hold another round of talks after three days.
In the meantime, APJUDA has decided to continue its boycott of both emergency and non-emergency medical services across the state until all their pending demands are fully met.
