Andhra fixes junior doctors’ stipend hike at 3.5% a year from 2027; APJUDA rejects order
G.O. Ms. No. 141, issued a month after the strike ended, gives interns 10% and postgraduates 5% for 2026; the association says the decision was taken unilaterally and asks the government to reconsider
The Andhra Pradesh Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department has announced a uniform annual 3.5% stipend increase for junior doctors, effective January 1, 2027. This decision, issued in a Government Order (G.O.) Ms. No. 141, comes nearly a month after the strike was called off. The new stipend hike replaces previous offers of 10% for MBBS and BDS interns and 5% for postgraduate and super-specialty students like MDS and DNB.
The earlier 10% and 5% increase was deemed without mutual agreement and excluded senior residents, which the APJUDA deemed unjust. The association, which participated in the strike, sought a 30% hike citing inflation and workload, while the government offered varying rates for different categories during the dispute. Talks between the government and APJUDA stalled multiple times, including after the High Court ordered the government to address the doctors' concerns within two weeks.
An expert committee formed to examine the issue met on multiple occasions, initially recommending a 10% hike for MBBS and BDS interns and 4% for postgraduate and super-specialty students for 2026, with an annual 3% increase starting January 1, 2027. However, the government ultimately decided on a 10% hike for MBBS and BDS interns, 5% for junior doctors, senior residents, MDS, and DNB students for the current year, followed by a uniform 3.5% annual increase for all groups from 2027 forward.
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