Outpatient (OP) services across government medical college hospitals came to a standstill on Monday following a state-wide boycott by the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA). The protest, held to press long-pending demands including pay revision delays and acute staff shortage, also led to the suspension of classes as teachers abstained from duties.

According to the association, the boycott was total across all institutions, including super speciality departments, though essential services such as ICUs and operation theatres functioned without disruption.

KGMCTA, which has been protesting for years and staging public agitations for over three months, accused the government of maintaining a “continued indifference” towards their issues. “This neglect has pushed the medical education sector into crisis, demoralised government doctors, and posed a serious threat to public health care,” the association said.

Calling Monday’s protest a complete success, KGMCTA thanked the public for extending solidarity by staying away from OP departments. The association said it never intended to inconvenience poor patients, but squarely blamed the government for forcing them into such an extreme step.

The association warned that if the government continues to remain unresponsive, the protest will be intensified, and all services except emergency care may be suspended.

Key demands
1. Pay anomalies and entry-level disparity
KGMCTA pointed out serious anomalies in the 2016 pay revision, which was implemented only in 2020 after a four-year delay. The entry-level pay for Assistant Professors remains disproportionately low, leading to a wide gap between those who joined before and after January 1, 2016. The association said the unattractive pay structure discourages qualified doctors from joining the medical education service and drives many to the private sector or abroad.

2. Denial of arrears
The association alleged that despite an order in 2020, pay revision arrears from 2016 for four years and nine months remain unpaid. Repeated assurances by the government were not honoured, and officials cited the non-availability of UGC grants as an excuse—despite earlier payments being made from the state fund. The arrears include the period when doctors worked on the frontlines during the COVID-19 and Nipah outbreaks, risking their lives while other employees worked from home.

3. Workload and lack of posts
Doctors already burdened with heavy workloads are being allegedly deployed to new medical colleges on a “working arrangement” basis, which affects patient care in parent institutions. The association attributed this to the government’s failure to create adequate faculty posts as per National Medical Commission (NMC) norms.

4. DA arrears and pension ceiling
KGMCTA demanded that the revised Dearness Allowance (DA) be implemented at the central rate and all arrears disbursed in full. It also sought the removal of the current pension ceiling and the adoption of the central government pension limits.

5. Creation of new posts and safety assurance
The association called for new faculty positions in proportion to the rising patient load in all government medical colleges and urged the government to ensure adequate safety and protection for doctors on duty.

KGMCTA said the next phase of protests will be decided during its representatives’ meeting held alongside the annual conference at Kozhikode Medical College on October 25.