Patients at Kerala’s government medical colleges are in for a difficult week as the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA) begins an indefinite strike this Monday. The doctors are starting by boycotting outpatient (OP) services, a move they say was forced by the state government’s "continued neglect" regarding pay scales and chronic staffing shortages.
The doctors are particularly frustrated over salary arrears. They’ve pointed out that while other government employees have seen their arrears settled, medical college doctors have been left out in the cold. Beyond the paycheck, the list of grievances is long: entry-level pay anomalies, a lack of new posts to ease the workload, and a promotion system that isn't keeping pace with National Medical Commission (NMC) norms.
The protest isn't exactly new— it is been simmering since July of last year. Doctors had actually called off a previous strike after meetings with Health Minister Veena George and the Finance Minister, but they say a government order issued on January 18 was the final straw. Instead of fixing the salary structure, the government reportedly offered a "nominal allowance" with no back-pay, which the KGMCTA has rejected as completely unacceptable.
The escalation plan is quite aggressive. After Monday’s OP boycott and the 10:30 am dharnas across campuses, the association plans to stop all non-emergency surgeries starting February 9. By February 11, they intend to boycott university examination duties as well.
To prevent a total collapse of care, the association clarified that emergency services — like the ICU, casualty, and labor rooms — will stay open. However, they’ve urged the public to stay away from medical colleges unless it’s a life-threatening situation. With PG students and college unions already backing the strike, the pressure is squarely on the state government to return to the negotiating table before the healthcare system grinds to a halt.
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