KGMOA to intensify agitation

Doctors to strike on Nov. 1, to go on en masse leave on Nov.16

Doctors in State Health Services, who have been on a silent agitation since the past few months over the denial of allowances and benefits to doctors, are intensifying their agitation.

From November 1, Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) has decided to launch a ‘Nilpu Samaram’ or a ‘stand up’ strike in front of the Secretariat, to protest against the Government’s continued neglect of the demands raised by the doctors’ fraternity.

All doctors across the State, from primary health centres upwards will be part of the strike. If their grievances are not resolved, Government doctors across the State will go on leave en masse on November 16, KGMOA said.

There is an acute shortage of human resources in the Health Department now, and the doctors are overworked and stressed, especially now that the Government has dismissed nearly 20,000 health workers in various categories under COVID Brigade, who had been hired on a temporary basis at the beginning of the pandemic.

The State was still reporting close to 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 daily and doctors were forced to handle non-COVID work as well as public health activities alongside COVID care .

Despite several appeals, the Government continued to deny risk allowance to doctors. The grievances raised by KGMOA include slashing of basic pay at the entry cadre, stopping of personal pay and ratio promotion and denial of higher grade.

KGMOA said that till now, even when they were on agitation, doctors had taken care not to disrupt patient care services in hospitals. However, they were being forced to intensify their agitation as the Government seemed intent on turning its face away from the issues raised by doctors .

It appealed to the Government to settle the issues raised by doctors without delay.

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