Indefinite strike by PG medicos from Aug 9

Thiruvananthapuram: The post-graduate medical residents in government medical college hospitals will go on an indefinite strike from August 9. The strike has been called for as the government was not ready for any discussion to consider their demands despite their token strike last week.
“We are forced to go on an indefinite strike and we will be withdrawing from non-essential services initially, followed by Covid and ICU duties. We are not going to step back until our issues are considered and our basic rights are ensured,” said Dr R Naveen, state secretary of Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association.
All post-graduates and superspecialty senior residents will take part in the strike. The state chapter of Indian Medical Association and Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association have affirmed their support to the medicos.
“For the past one-and-half years we have been in the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, but till date there has been no support or appreciation from higher authorities. We have been raising our basic issues to concerned authorities for the past six months, but the response was disappointing,” said Dr Athul Ashok, state president of the association.
Their demands include decentralization of Covid patient load to peripheral non-teaching institutions and they alleged that the government is destroying the largest medical training facilities of the state by overburdening it with Covid cases.
The association is demanding additional human resource recruitment to MCHs through national health mission. The hospitals are going to face acute shortage of hands since the doctors are busy preparing for NEET post-graduate examinations and the current non-academic batch completing their postings.
An increase in the number of non-academic senior resident posts has become inevitable. The finance department had approved 76 senior resident posts, but the notification of its allotment has not been issued yet.
Other demands include incentives and risk allowances for resident doctors working round the clock without any break, decongestion of MCHs of extra ICU beds that they cannot support due to severe shortage inhuman resources, etc.