Thiruvananthapuram: The patient footfall at government medical colleges across the state has fallen sharply as the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA) continues its outpatient (OP) boycott, non-emergency surgery boycott, academic boycott and hunger strike in support of its demands.

At Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), daily OP attendance has dropped from around 4,000 patients to 1,200. Thiruvananthapuram MCH, which earlier recorded nearly 4,500 patients a day, now sees around 2,500. At Alappuzha MCH, the number has fallen from about 4,000 to fewer than 1,000 patients a day. Other medical colleges in the State have reported a similar trend. Hospital admissions have also declined considerably.

KGMCTA attributed the fall to the absence of senior doctors in OP departments as part of the protest. The association said patients requiring detailed evaluation and advanced treatment were increasingly turning to private hospitals. Postgraduate students are currently managing OP services on a temporary basis. The postponement of elective surgeries has further compounded patients’ difficulties.

Representatives of the association met on Monday with the Chief Minister, the Health Minister, and the Finance Minister. According to KGMCTA, the Ministers acknowledged that the issues raised were reasonable. The association reiterated its key demands, including the disbursal of salary arrears pending since January 2016, rectification of pay anomalies in entry-level posts, creation of additional doctor posts in proportion to patient load in older medical colleges, addressing staff and infrastructure shortages in newer institutions, and removal of what it described as an unjust pension ceiling.

The Government has addressed only the pay anomaly in entry-level posts to a large extent. The association welcomed the order issued earlier this month on the matter, but pointed out that no decision has yet been taken on releasing salary arrears, including those relating to the COVID-19 period. The Chief Minister has reportedly agreed to examine the issue in consultation with the Finance Minister.

KGMCTA also welcomed the Health Minister’s reported stand that steps should be taken to release the pending arrears. It expressed hope that the Health and Finance Departments would act without further delay and said it was awaiting a favourable outcome from further discussions between the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister.

Expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to patients, the association said it had resorted to a protest only after exhausting other avenues. It added that the academic boycott was affecting meritorious students admitted to government medical colleges and asserted that withholding salary arrears of doctors who worked extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic was unjustifiable.

The association made it clear that it would continue its strike until the Government takes a favourable decision on its demands.