Kerala Medical PG Association threatens strike, demands scrapping of bond

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Medical PG Association has threatened to go on strike from Tuesday if the government failed to scrap the decision to enforce three year bond after PG. At the meeting held late Friday evening, the association decided to take part in the meeting convened by additional chief secretary health Rajeev Sadanandan on Monday. “We hope the government to roll back the three-year bond system. If it fails to do so, we will be forced to resort to strike in all government medical colleges from Tuesday,” said Dr Rahul U.R., KMPGA secretary.

The talks held between health minister K.K. Shailaja and representatives of Kerala Medical PG Association here the other day remained inconclusive. The KMPGA tried to convince the minister that the unscientific manner in which the three-year bond period has been fixed after post graduation, was unacceptable. They pointed out major defects in the manner in which the government was planning to use the services of junior and senior residents for health service institutions. According to association office bearers, the prospectus clearly stated that the bond was meant only for medical education sector. Hence, during the bond period one cannot shift them to other institutions.

Ms Shailaja and additional chief secretary health Rajeev Sadanandan had earlier stated that the three-year bond was being enforced to get adequate number of doctors for implementing the government’s Ardram mission. As part of the mission, the government plans to introduce speciality and super speciality facilities in taluk and district hospitals. However, there is some rethinking on the part of the minister. KMPGA representatives said the minister had conveyed that doctors were required for medical education sector.