Maternity leave turns costly for PG doctors; doctors’ body seeks waiver of rejoining fee

The Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (T-SRDA) has flagged the mandatory re-entry fee of ₹15,000 for women postgraduate doctors availing maternity leave, calling it unfair and symptomatic of deeper systemic gaps in how maternity leave is handled in government medical colleges in the state.

In the statement made by the association, it was stated that female graduate students must pay a fee in order to re-attend their classes after completing the compulsory three-month maternity leave. “Even after the amount is paid, students have to wait another 15 to 20 days to get university permission, so they are prevented from benefiting from departmental facilities,” the statement said.

The association pointed out that the lack of uniform and clearly stated maternity leave guidelines was a key problem. It was stated that there are no standard protocols published by Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), leading to inconsistent practices among universities and constant confusion for students returning after delivery.

Postgraduate doctors are not paid a salary during the extension period following maternity leave. Doctors alleged that salaries were delayed for four to five months even after the extension was completed, causing severe financial distress and affecting maternal and child health at a critical stage.

The representative also expressed concerns about the restrictions imposed during the extension period. “Female postgraduate doctors are not allowed to take temporary leave during this period, even in case of medical emergencies or child health issues, even though they have appropriate leave balances,” they added.

T-SRDA has demanded immediate waiver of rejoining fee of ₹15,000, as well as formulation and dissemination of clear maternity leave and rejoining guidelines applicable to all medical colleges.