Handwara, Oct 28: Postgraduate resident doctors at Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara on Tuesday staged a peaceful demonstration, seeking an increase in their stipends and raising concerns over the difference in payments received by PG doctors in Jammu and Kashmir and other states.

The protesting doctors questioned the disparity, pointing out that postgraduate residents in several states receive stipends of more than ₹1 lakh, while their counterparts in Jammu and Kashmir are paid considerably less. They called on the government to take immediate steps to address the issue.

The All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) expressed solidarity with the protesting doctors and demanded a fair and uniform stipend structure for postgraduate residents across the Union Territory.

AIMSA president Dr Mohammad Momin Khan urged the authorities to consider the doctors’ concerns and fulfil their demand without further delay. He said the issue required urgent attention, given the demanding nature of postgraduate medical training and the responsibilities shouldered by resident doctors.

Khan also cautioned that PG residents from other government medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir might join the protest if the government failed to resolve the matter, raising the possibility of a wider agitation across the Union Territory.

AIMSA reaffirmed its support for the resident doctors, stressing that fair stipends were essential to recognise their contribution to patient care and the functioning of government healthcare institutions.