The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA) has announced that doctors in government medical colleges will boycott outpatient (OP) services on Tuesday as part of their ongoing protest against the state government’s failure to address long-pending demands, including delays in pay revisions and an acute staff shortage.

The association began its protest on July 1 and has since been boycotting OP duties on a relay basis. Despite repeated appeals and the OP boycott held on October 20, the government has yet to hold any discussions or take steps to resolve their grievances, the KGMCTA said in a statement.

If the government continues to remain indifferent, the association warned that it would be forced to intensify its agitation into an indefinite strike.

According to the KGMCTA, medical college doctors will boycott OP services on the following dates: October 28 (Tuesday), November 5 (Wednesday), November 13 (Thursday), November 21 (Friday), and November 29 (Saturday). On these days, theory classes for students will also be suspended. However, essential services—including casualty, labour rooms, and ICUs—will continue without interruption.

Expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to patients, the association said it had been compelled to strengthen its protest as repeated representations and negotiations had gone unanswered. It also urged the public to avoid visiting OPs on the announced strike days.

KGMCTA further stated that it would continue to boycott official meetings and correspondence and initiate a token protest within the framework of service rules.

Key demands of KGMCTA
- Immediate correction of pay anomalies in the entry-level Assistant Professor post and acceleration of PSC recruitments.
- Release of pending salary revision arrears without delay.
- End to unnecessary temporary transfers and permanent appointments in line with National Medical Commission (NMC) norms.
- Increase in the number of sanctioned faculty posts proportional to patient load and treatment requirements.
- Upgradation of infrastructure facilities in all government medical colleges.