Patiala, May 27 -- Resident doctors and MBBS interns at Government Medical Colleges in Patiala and Amritsar staged a protest on Monday, decrying low stipends. Medical students across the state have been raising the issue of high course fee and dismally low stipend, which they say, is making medical education inaccessible to students of low-income families. The protesting students said Punjab now holds the dubious distinction of charging the highest MBBS and MDS course fees among neighbouring states while offering the lowest stipends to interns and resident doctors. The MBBS course fee in government medical colleges of Punjab has reached Rs.7.8 lakh, a figure that is nearly double of what Haryana charges (Rs.4.4 lakh) and over three times higher than Himachal Pradesh (Rs.2.50 lakh). MBBS interns in Punjab receive only Rs.15,000 a month during their compulsory one-year internship. In contrast, Haryana offers a stipend of Rs.24,300 a month, and Himachal Pradesh pays Rs.20,000. The disparity continues at the postgraduate level as well. MDS students in Punjab pay around Rs.1.5 lakh annually, yet receive a monthly stipend of only Rs.67,000 - significantly less than what Haryana pays (Rs.86,120) and Himachal (Rs.1 lakh). Dr Raman Deep Singh, president of the resident doctors' association (RDA), said the Punjab government is failing to fulfil its promises on healthcare and education reforms. "The high fees of medical courses have shattered the dreams of many poor and middle-class students who aspire to become doctors. On top of that, resident doctors and interns are grossly underpaid for their hard work and commitment," he said....