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Kerala: PG doctors to strike against 3-year compulsory bond

It will also wait for government's response to their strike notice.

Thiruvananthapuram: With the government enforcing a three-year compulsory bond for post graduate medical students, the junior doctors in six government medical colleges are planning to go on strike against the decision.

The three-year bond period will come into being from the current academic year. Till last year, the medical PGs had just one-year bond after completion of their course.

A detailed plan on agitation is being worked out by Kerala Medical PG Association (KMPGA) which is set to serve strike notice to the government on Monday. After a token strike on Tuesday, the PG doctors are planning to start an indefinite strike from March 13. The final decision on strike will be taken on Sunday. It will also wait for government's response to their strike notice.

“We are prepared to take up government jobs permanently. But first let the authorities give us jobs. They seem to be only interested in getting senior residents by enforcing bond,” said Dr Rahul U. R,. leader of KMPGA.

“Instead of creating new posts and making appointments through PSC, the authorities were running hospitals with junior and senior residents. At the moment there are 545 vacancies in the medical education sector and most of them are assistant professor-level posts,” said Dr P. S. Jinesh of Kottayam medical college.

While the finance minster on Friday announced creation of 1,345 posts of doctors in health sector, in medical education sector he announced only 45. This when patient rush at the medical colleges was increasing by 10 per cent annually.

Meanwhile, authorities said that three-year bond decision had been taken in view of the shortage of senior residents in medical college hospitals. They said terms and conditions including remuneration will be decided by the government. The service in central or any other state government or PSU will not be counted for relaxation in compulsory services barring defence services.

As of now, junior residents and senior residents are getting Rs 43,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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