Medical college teachers across the State boycotted outpatient clinics and lectures for two hours on Wednesday as a token strike to protest against the government delaying the pay revision in Medical Education Service.
In the capital, doctors marched to the office of the Director of Medical Education and staged a dharna while in other medical colleges, protest marches were taken out to the offices of the respective Principal.
Though doctors stayed away from work from 8 a.m. till 10 a.m., junior doctors and residents were on hand to manage the OP clinics. Essential services were not disrupted.
The last pay revision of medical college teachers was 13 years ago, in 2006. During this period, the pay of government doctors and government employees had been revised twice, while the faculty in other colleges were given UGC’s revised pay, the Kerala Government Medial College Teachers’ Association said.
Doctors threatened to go on an indefinite strike if the government did not take a favourable decision within a week, the KGMCTA said.
Raised in House
Meanwhile, the issue of pay revision of medical college teachers was raised in the Assembly on Wednesday during submissions by M.K. Muneer, MLA.
Replying to the submission, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja said the proposal for pay revision of doctors in the Medical Education Service, with the recommendation that pay revision be implemented with effect from January 1, 2016 was under the consideration of the Finance Department.
The Finance Department had sought more details and clarifications from the DME and as soon as the details were obtained, the file would be sent to the Finance Department and the pay revision process expedited, she said.
