Andhra Pradesh resident doctors continue strike over stipend demands

Resident doctors in Andhra Pradesh continued their strike on Wednesday, entering the second phase of agitation. The Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors' Association (APJUDA) is demanding a 30 per cent increase in stipends, rejecting a 3 per cent offer from the government as “unacceptable”.

In addition to the stipend hike, the doctors are opposing MSc and PhD recruitments and a proposal to raise the retirement age to 65 years. As part of the protest, members are also conducting a voluntary relay hunger strike.

The strike involves the withdrawal of interns, junior residents, postgraduates, and senior residents from all non-emergency services across government medical colleges and teaching hospitals. However, APJUDA stated that emergency, life-saving, and critical care services—including various ICUs, casualty services, and labor emergency procedures—will continue uninterrupted with minimum staffing.