Kerala: Medical colleges to be hit as PG doctors to strike work

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Patient care services in government medical colleges will be affected on Tuesday with Kerala Medical PG Association  deciding to go on a strike.  The decision to go on strike was taken following the failure of talks held with health minister K.K. Shailaja and representatives of Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association (KMPGA). The association is demanding the scrapping of three years compulsory bond after PG. Additional chief secretary (health) Rajeev Sadanandan also attended the talks. Sources said the health secretary gave an assurance to bring down the bond period to two years.

However, the KMPGA leaders have demanded complete roll back of the decision. Following the failure of the negotiations, the KMPGA representatives requested for a meeting with health minister K.K. Shailaja. The outcome of the meeting was awaited at the time of going to the press. The KMPGA has threatened to go on a strike in all government medical colleges from Tuesday if the government failed to accept their demands . All PG doctors barring those deployed in emergency departments, would keep off duties.

House surgeons will join the strike from Wednesday. The strike will be further intensified from March 15 with an indefinite agitation which will include emergency duties. The KMPGA has also decided to take out a massive protest march to the secretariat on March 17 in support of their demands.   The KMPGA said that the entire responsibility of the strike would be on the government as it had failed resolve the issue despite several negotiations.