Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday joined medical interns on an overnight vigil as their protest continued for a third day across the Valley. Medical interns working in hospitals across Kashmir have been on strike seeking an enhancement in their monthly stipends.

They have also observed night vigils at their respective hospitals, and on Wednesday, PDP chief Mufti joined the doctors at Government Medical College, Srinagar.

“It was deeply painful to see those who work exhausting 36-hour shifts, including nights, caring for patients and saving lives, forced to protest for a basic right. These young doctors are the backbone of our healthcare system. Their dedication cannot be met with neglect. A government that expects them to serve with sacrifice must also respect their dignity,” she said.

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Mufti also appealed to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to meet the students and resolve their issues.

Medical interns have been seeking a revision of their monthly stipend, which is currently just above Rs 12,000, to Rs 30,000. These stipends have not been revised in the last seven years, and protesting doctors have said that the stipend of Rs 12,000 is the “bare minimum” and “doesn’t even cover the cost of commuting” to the hospitals where they work.

During their protests, medical interns at the Government Medical College in Srinagar said that their current stipend is just over Rs 12,000 while in other parts of the country, it is upwards of Rs 30,000.

The protests began on August 31, with medical interns going on strike en masse. Congress, an alliance partner of the National Conference, has also urged the J&K Chief Minister to address the doctors’ concerns. In a letter to Omar Abdullah, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Tariq Hameed Karra advocated increasing the stipends for medical interns, citing their long and demanding hours.

Karra also noted that the stipend being provided to medical interns in J&K is “considerably lower” than that offered in several other parts of the country.

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During their protests on Monday, medical interns at Government Medical College, Srinagar, said that their current stipend is just over Rs 12,000, while in other parts of the country, it is upwards of Rs 30,000. The medical interns in Kashmir are demanding a parallel hike in their stipends as well.

J&K Health Minister Sakina Itoo had said on the first day of the protest that the matter had been taken up and was under process by the J&K Government. However, she added: “There is a financial implication to this decision and this is currently under review by the Finance Department, J&K Government.” She also conceded that there is a need to increase stipends for the doctors and that the J&K Government is cognisant of rising costs. “They did not, however, need to go on strike because this affects patient care,” Itoo said.

The doctors on strike have rejected this explanation by the J&K Government, stating that they have been “hearing this for the last year” and asserting that they will continue their sit-in till their stipends are increased.