Kerala: Age rise angers medical college doctors fume

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Medical college doctors have opposed the Cabinet decision to increase their pension age from 60 to 62. The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association said the decision to raise the pension age would adversely affect the promotion prospects of junior doctors. The decision has been taken unilaterally without taking the views of doctors’ organisations. The association urged the government to scrap the decision with immediate effect.

The KGMCTA said that after the retirement age was raised from 55 to 60 in 2009, the government had assured that there would be no further increase in the age limit. “The decision is going to spoil the promotion chances of junior faculty and also appointments at the entry grade level,” said Dr Kavitha Ravi, KGMCTA state president. The association said the decision would break the confidence of the young doctors who are aspiring for a career in the government medical education sector.

It refuted the government claim that MCI recognition of medical colleges was at stake following shortage of professors. In fact the major threat was being posed by shortage of associate professors and lack of infrastructure facilities. KGMCTA said the standard of health care and medical education was high compared to other states where retirement age was higher than Kerala. Hence, there was no need to follow the other states retirement age criteria. The association demanded talks with representatives of medical college doctors.

Joint meet to protest age hike, bond issues

Kerala Medicos Joint Action Council will be constituted at a meeting in Thrissur on Friday to discuss issues including retirement age increase, new appointments, bond issue. MBBS students, house surgeons, post graduates, PSC rank holders and junior doctors are expected to take part.  Meanwhile, Kerala Medical PG Doctors Association has opposed the government decision to increase  pension age of medical college doctors.

The KPMGA said every year 3,500 MBBS doctors and 1,500 PG doctors come out of medical colleges and the decision to increase pension age will affect their job prospects. For those awaiting appointment in health service based on the 2014 PSC list, the decision was big set back. It said more UG and PG courses will lose recognition if professors continue in service for more years and there are no appointments of assistant professors. 

The loss of recognition is mainly because of the shortage of assistant professors. KMPGA said the  government decision was unscientific  and anti youth and it should be withdrawn immediately The association threatened to launch a major agitation if the government failed to rollback the decision.