Post-graduate resident doctors in Kerala’s medical colleges will withdraw from non-COVID and non-emergency services on Monday for 12 hours, from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, in protest against the burden that the resident doctors are facing since the COVID-19 outbreak.

President of the Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association, Dr Athul Ashok, stated that only two batches are currently available for duty in colleges as the final-year students are through with their courses and are waiting for their exams.

He stated that the 2015 batch is completing the extension as non-academic junior residents, and therefore, the medical colleges have a grave shortage of manpower. He added that they have raised their concerns with several officials, including principals and hospital superintendents of medical colleges, the Governor and the health minister. However, their issues have remained as issues. He stated that now they are left with no other option than to go on a strike.

The resident doctors say that they get only three years to attain the skills required for their specialties, and one year out of that has already been sacrificed considering the pandemic.

These doctors demand decentralization of the load of COVID-19 patients to peripheral non-teaching institutions. Postgraduates require proper training in their fields. Surgical specialties have been seriously affected during the pandemic. The doctors also seek recruitment of non-academic junior residents through the National Health Mission with adequate pay to relieve the pressure of the already tight duty schedule.

They also demand providing incentives or risk allowances to resident doctors and posting of the 2016 MBBS final-year batch, who have completed the practical exams, as house surgeons.

Source: The New Indian Express