Non-academic junior residents (NAJR) at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, have decided not to abide by the Health Department’s decision to extend their tenure for another three months, claiming that it will affect their prospects for higher studies. This is likely to affect the functioning of the hospital, including treatment of COVID-19 patients.
As many as 219 students, belonging to the 2015 MBBS batch, had completed their five-and-a-half-year course, including the one-year Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship, in April this year. The government decided to extend it for another three months in view of the pandemic situation. The 2016 batch of house surgeons had not yet assumed charge, as their exams were not over too. However, when the Kerala House Surgeons Association protested against the extension of their tenure, they were categorised as NAJR with a monthly stipend. The government had said in the order that they would be asked to serve either for three months or till the new batch takes over, whichever was earlier.
With the extended tenure ending on July 24 now, the department has again prolonged it for another three months. The junior residents say that the exams for the 2016 batch will take at least one more month to conclude. Though the exams were supposed to begin in May, they had to be postponed several times in view of the lockdown and other restrictions.
One of the junior residents told The Hindu on Tuesday that the latest Government Order was applicable only to government medical colleges. “The entrance test for postgraduate courses is expected to be held in April 2022. If we work for another three months here, we will get only five months for preparations. Even otherwise we are running short of time to prepare. We will not join duty,” he said.
Sources at the medical college hospital said since postgraduate medical students and medical interns were the major pillars of support for the functioning of the institution, their sudden departure would hit patients hard. The Health Department is yet to hold talks with their representatives.
