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Kerala Doctors Strike: Surgeries Halted, Patient Care Hit
19 Feb
Summary
- Medical college doctors in Kerala are on an indefinite strike.
- Non-emergency surgeries and procedures have been suspended since Thursday.
- Doctors are protesting ignored demands for pay revision arrears since 2020.
Patient care services at government medical college hospitals in Kerala have been severely affected as doctors continue their indefinite strike. Since Thursday, all non-emergency surgeries and procedures have been suspended. Outpatient clinics have also been impacted since Monday, with postgraduate students and house surgeons attending to patients, leading to postponements of critical treatment decisions by senior doctors.
The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA) initiated an aggressive strike mode due to the government's consistent disregard for their demands since 2020. They highlighted that pay revision arrears, legally due for over four years, have not been disbursed despite Law department clearance, while other state government employees have received their payments. Doctors are also protesting the withholding of arrears related to the COVID-19 pandemic period.
The government has stated that 'dies non' is applicable to striking employees. However, KGMCTA leaders have vowed to continue the strike, asserting they cannot be threatened into submission. A dharna was held on Thursday, and postgraduate medicos are set to join the strike in solidarity on Friday, further intensifying the situation.
