Why are junior doctors in Andhra Pradesh protesting? | Explained

The story so far: Junior doctors across Andhra Pradesh, under the banner of the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA), began a phased strike on August 11, 2026, demanding a stipend revision that has been due since January 1, 2026. What began as a time-bound withdrawal of non-emergency services has since escalated, through repeated rounds of failed talks with the State administration, into a withdrawal of emergency services as well from August 17, affecting Intensive Care Units, casualty wards, and labour rooms in government medical colleges and teaching hospitals throughout the State.

The dispute traces back to Government Order No. 287, issued by the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department on December 17, 2009. It provides for a biennial revision of junior doctors’ stipends by about 15%, linked to inflation. Revisions followed in 2019 and 2024. The one due from January 1, 2026, did not come through even after seven months, prompting APJUDA to send its first formal communication to the department in July and threaten a strike from August 4. The government sought a week’s time through the Director of Medical Education to negotiate with the Finance Department and the Health Secretary, and the strike was put on hold.