Thiruvananthapuram: Medical post-graduate students in Kerala, who had been protesting the excessive workload due to staff shortage, withdrew their strike on Tuesday on the assurance given by Health Minister Veena George.
The Kerala Medical Post-Graduate Association (KMPGA) had been calling for expediting the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) PG counselling.
It is understood that minister George, after meeting representatives of KMPGA, noted that their demands were 'just'.
The minister has reportedly promised to appoint more junior doctors to ease the workload at government medical colleges in the state.
KMPGA members had been protesting at various states in the country for over a week. They have claimed that for the last year, they were working on 66% workforce.
"This year, PG allotment has not taken place due to the inefficiency of the central government and the national medical commission," KMPGA noted last week in an open letter addressed to the health minister.
"Over 850 eligible rank holders are awaiting allotment in Kerala alone. At a time of crisis when their services could come in handy, they have lost a year."
According to the medical pg-students, they are working overtime, often deprived of sleep. They have demanded the state governments to pressurise the Centre to expedite the counselling process.
