Pune, 15 July 2025: Intern doctors from the 2020 batch at BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital have launched an indefinite strike from today over non-payment of stipends for the past three months. Expressing deep frustration, the interns said that repeated delays have left them financially strained, and if immediate action is not taken, they will be forced to withdraw from patient services.
The strike is likely to affect primary and emergency care services at Sassoon Hospital, as these are primarily handled by the intern doctors. The striking interns held the administration responsible for the situation and have demanded a prompt resolution.
They began their internship on April 5 this year and claim they have not received a single stipend payment since then, making it increasingly difficult for them to manage their personal expenses while fulfilling medical duties.
The interns submitted a formal letter to the dean listing several grievances, including being forced to open bank accounts specifically with Bank of Baroda, the long leave of responsible administrative staff, delays in forwarding necessary documents to the treasury department, false promises regarding payments, fabricated claims about missing attendance records, and insensitive behaviour from the dean without any written assurance.
They stressed that since April 5, they have been working without pay and the financial burden has become unbearable. "It is becoming extremely difficult for us to carry out our medical responsibilities while dealing with this financial crisis," one of the interns stated.
In their letter, the interns have demanded that all pending stipends be released immediately, a transparent system be established to ensure timely payments in the future, and that no disciplinary action be taken against those participating in the strike.