Kerala Govt medical college doctors’ stir enters day 9; OP boycott in all public hospitals in TVM today

Thiruvananthapuram: Doctors in government medical colleges have decided to continue their strike after talks with the Chief Minister, Health Minister, and Finance Minister held on Monday failed, following the firm position taken by the Finance Minister against granting salary arrears to the doctors. The ongoing stir is affecting a huge number of patients at the medical colleges. The doctors had launched the indefinite protest on February 16. 

In Thiruvananthapuram district, all government doctors will boycott OP services on Tuesday as a mark of protest against the suspension of Dr Bindu Sundar over the death of a child at Nedumangad District Hospital. 

Office-bearers of the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA), which is leading the agitation, initially met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and explained their working conditions and demands. The Chief Minister, who heard them out, directed the doctors to approach Finance Minister KN Balagopal. Pinarayi also told the doctors that he would inform Balagopal over the phone about the meeting.

KGMCTA leaders next met Health Minister Veena George, who later joined them during the talks with the Finance Minister. However, Balagopal took a firm stand that the government cannot sanction salary arrears solely for medical college doctors. He pointed out that although teachers in arts and science colleges receive UGC (University Grants Commission)-scale salaries, similar to medical college doctors, the UGC allots a share of the funds to pay those salaries.

At the same time, there is no contribution from the UGC towards paying the salaries of medical college doctors or faculty in homoeopathy, Ayurveda, engineering colleges, and polytechnics, who also draw UGC-scale pay, the minister explained. The Finance Minister said that since none of these categories has been sanctioned salary arrears, the government could not take a decision in favour of medical college doctors alone.

Meanwhile, medical college doctors reminded the Finance Minister about the extra work they undertook during the COVID-19 pandemic and the additional responsibilities and risks they continue to shoulder. While the minister concurred with their views, he failed to give an assurance regarding the clearance of their salary arrears. Following this, a central committee meeting of the KGMCTA decided to continue the agitation.