Four medical students on fast hospitalised

[sajiv]

Four medical students on fast hospitalised

TIRUNELVELI: Three house surgeons and a post-graduate medical student, who commenced fast unto death on Monday collapsed on Wednesday and were admitted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.

Demanding a stipend of Rs.10,000 for house-surgeons and a salary of Rs. 25,000 for PG medical students, house surgeons and medicos commenced their protest 15 days ago on the hospital premises and eight of them intensified their agitation by starting fast unto death on Monday.

PG medical students S. Rajini (3rd year), S. Sundara Vadivel (3rd year), M.S. Krishnakumar (2nd year) and A. Sathish (1st year) and house surgeons J. Joseph Selva Singh, S. Charan, R. John Shantha Vinodhan and M. Nidhyanandam commenced the fast from Monday morning.

Of them, the four collapsed on Wednesday, forcing other agitating students to shift them to the hospital immediately.

The students claimed that the information given by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the Assembly regarding the stipend being in given in other States "was wrong."

"What he has informed in the Assembly as the stipend being given in other States is totally wrong. While All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, gives Rs. 8,900 as stipend, the Chief Minister has wrongly informed the Assembly that it was only Rs. 5,700," they said.
Actual stipend

The actual stipend being given to the house surgeons in various States ('stipend reply' given by Mr. Karunanidhi in the Assembly): New Delhi – Rs. 8,500 (Rs. 5,700), Banaras Hindu University – Rs. 7,800 (Rs. 7,500), West Bengal – Rs. 12,500 (Rs. 8,000), Karnataka – Rs. 6,000 (Rs. 5,700), Orissa – Rs. 8,642 (Rs. 5,000) and JIPMER – Rs. 8,900 (Rs. 5,700).

"We are not worried about our health. Our protest does not enjoy the support of any organisation. We want to continue our agitation on our own and win the battle," said the students, who are observing fast unto death.
Tuticorin

Even as the hunger strike by the medical students entered the third consecutive day, six house surgeons took part in the fast here on Wednesday.

Sanjay, a house surgeon, led the fast.

The health conditions of the ten house surgeons who were on fast on Tuesday were affected and were under treatment at the hospital.