Kerala Govt doctors to launch indefinite strike from February 2 over unresolved demands

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA), which had earlier deferred its indefinite strike after assurances from the Health and Finance Ministers, has expressed deep disappointment over the government’s failure to keep its promises. In response, the association has announced an indefinite strike from February 2 by boycotting OPD services.

The strike will be carried out in a phased manner. From January 22, doctors will indefinitely boycott teaching activities in all government medical colleges. On the same day, dharnas (sit-in protests) will be held at government medical colleges and in front of the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) office in Thiruvananthapuram.

On January 27, doctors will hold a day-long dharna in front of the Secretariat. OPD services will be boycotted from February 2. From February 9, doctors will stop performing all surgeries except for emergency procedures, and from February 11, they will also boycott university examination duties.

Also read- Kerala doctors defer indefinite strike for a week after Govt assurances

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the indefinite boycott of academic activities, announced by KGMCTA from January 13, was postponed by a week after assurances from the Health and Finance Ministers.

The doctors decided to defer the strike after the ministers, in a meeting on Monday, assured them that all their demands would be considered. The government sought some time to implement the demands. To see whether the assurances are honoured, the doctors decided to wait and will begin the strike from January 19 if their concerns are not addressed.

However, the government order (GO) issued on January 18 disappointed the doctors. According to KGMCTA, the ministers had assured them that anomalies in entry-level pay revision would be corrected and that pending pay revision arrears from 2016 would be addressed.

Instead, the GO provided only a partial allowance to compensate for the entry-level pay cut, without retrospective effect or continuity in the next pay revision. The association said this offers no real benefit to entry-cadre doctors. It also noted that the government did not mention anything about the payment of long-pending arrears, reports The Hindu.

KGMCTA has been on protest since July 1, 2025 alleging failure of the government authorities to honour the assurances given over the years on various long-pending demands including rectification of anomalies in the pay revision order, disbursement of salary and Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears, avoidance of temporary and mass transfers, and creation of adequate faculty posts, sufficient facilities for faculty and patients.

Speaking to TOI, Dr Rosnara Beegum T, state president of Kerala Govt Medical College Teachers Association, said, "Essential health services such as casualty, labour room, ICU, inpatient treatment, other emergency treatments, emergency surgeries and postmortem examinations were excluded from the protest activities."

Also read- Kerala Medical College doctors to begin indefinite teaching boycott from January 13