Kerala: Junior doctors not to resign in protest until next week

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following an assurance given by the health minister in Wednesday late-night talks, junior doctors, who were poised to exit Covid duty over salary challenge, have decided to postpone their mass resignation by a week. The minister has assured that a Government Order rectifying the salary cut will be released within seven days. "As the government has given the assurance we have decided to defer our mass resignation. If the GO is not released by then we will go ahead with the resignation plan next week,’’ said Dr Ousam Hussain K P, state president of Kerala Junior Doctors Association 20-21.
The association has insisted on the cuts in their salaries resolved instead of assurances. The 868 doctors, who had threatened to end Thursday their Covid duty that began in June, have their service period running into the first week of October. It is understood that the government has decided to not extend their service post-October.
These doctors had given the resignation in protest against cuts in the form of a salary challenge. They were planning to exit on Thursday if the government was not willing to accept their demand. These doctors were promised Rs 42,000 but were given only Rs 27,000.