THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Outpatient and inpatient services are likely to be seriously affected in government medical college hospitals in the state on Tuesday following a token strike called by Medical Joint Action Committee (MJAC) to protest against the decision to increase retirement age of doctors from 60 to 62. Patient care services including OP wings and wards will be severely affected from 8 am on Tuesday to 8 am on Wednesday. The strike is being supported by undergraduate students in the government medical colleges. Casualty emergency services, ICUs and labor rooms have been exempted from the strike.
After token strike, the MJAC has decided to intensify their agitation within an indefinite strike from December 23 which will cripple medical services in medical college hospitals. They will launch indefinite fast from December 25 if the government fails to respond positively. The JAC leaders on Monday met director of Medical Education and submitted a memorandum demanding the rollback of retirement age increase. They conveyed strong protest against the government decision to health minister.
The JAC reminded the government that after increasing the retirement age of medical college doctors from 55 to 60 in 2009, there was categorical assurance from the then health minister that there would be no further increase in the retirement age. The doctors' organisations like Kerala Government Medical College Association (KGMCTA) have opposed the decision alleging that it would spoil promotion prospects of lower and middle level faculty.
The junior doctors have opposed the decision on retirement age as they believe that it will adversely affect the appointments at the entry grade level and besides discouraging MBBS graduates aspiring for a career in medical education sector. They pointed out that more than 3500 MBBS doctors and 1500 PG doctors come out of medical colleges annually and the increase in retirement age would hit their job prospects badly.
The KGMCTA and MJAC countered the government argument that increase in retirement age would remove shortage of professors in medical colleges. The officer-bearers of the two organisations say that the shortage was felt more in the level of associate professors and at the entry grade.
