A Fresh Agitation After Failed Talks With Government
The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA) has announced an indefinite strike after its latest round of talks with the State government failed to deliver any meaningful resolution to long pending demands related to pay revision and arrears. The association had earlier deferred its agitation following assurances from the Health and Finance Ministers during a meeting held on January 12. Doctors were promised that anomalies in the entry cadre pay revision would be rectified and that long pending arrears dating back to 2016 would be considered. However, the Government Order issued later has left the medical fraternity deeply disappointed, forcing them to resume and intensify their protest.
Phased Plan of Service Boycott Across Kerala
The KGMCTA has announced a carefully structured, phased agitation plan. From January 22, all academic activities across government medical colleges in Kerala will be boycotted indefinitely. This will directly affect undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, clinical postings, and academic training programs. As a symbolic protest, doctors will also boycott outpatient services and non emergency surgeries on January 27 in all medical college hospitals.
The agitation will escalate further from February 2, when doctors will begin an indefinite boycott of all outpatient services in medical college hospitals. From February 9, they will stay away from all hospital services except essential health care services such as casualty, labour room, ICU, inpatient care, emergency treatments, emergency surgeries, and postmortem examinations. From February 11, doctors will also boycott all university examination duties, including valuation and conduct of professional examinations.
Emergency Services Will Continue
The association has made it clear that emergency and essential services will not be affected by the strike. Life saving services such as casualty care, ICU services, labour room services, emergency surgeries, inpatient care, and postmortem examinations will continue uninterrupted. This decision reflects the doctors’ attempt to balance their protest with their ethical responsibility toward patients who need urgent and critical care.
The Real Issue: Pay Revision Anomalies and Pending Arrears
The core of the dispute lies in unresolved pay revision issues and arrears pending since 2016. While other government employees in Kerala have received full payment of their pay revision arrears, the medical fraternity alleges that doctors have been treated unfairly and discriminated against. The Government Order issued on January 18 provided only a partial allowance to compensate for the pay cut in the entry cadre. Worse, this allowance was given without any retrospective effect and without continuity into the next pay revision cycle, making it practically meaningless for most doctors.
According to the KGMCTA, the government has also remained completely silent on the crucial issue of clearing long pending arrears, despite repeated assurances and discussions.
COVID Pandemic Service and a Sense of Betrayal
Doctors have pointed out that the arrears period includes the time when they served the State selflessly during the COVID 19 pandemic, often at great personal risk. While doctors across many parts of the country were given special incentives and recognition for their pandemic service, the Kerala government, which frequently highlighted its COVID management model, has failed to even release the rightful dues of its own medical college doctors. This has created a deep sense of injustice and betrayal within the medical community.
A Long History of Unresolved Grievances
This agitation is not a sudden development. Protests by medical college teachers in Kerala have been ongoing for several months. Since mid 2025, doctors have been raising multiple issues including pay revision arrears, staff shortages, unfilled teaching posts, arbitrary temporary transfers, and poor infrastructure in government medical colleges. Over the past months, the association has organised boycotts of classes, OP services, sit in protests, and symbolic demonstrations, but none of these have resulted in a satisfactory and lasting solution.
Impact on Healthcare and Medical Education
If the strike continues, it is likely to seriously affect non emergency healthcare services and medical education across Kerala. With outpatient departments and academic activities coming to a halt, patients seeking routine consultations and students in training will face significant difficulties. Although emergency services will continue, the overall functioning of government medical colleges is expected to be under severe strain if the standoff persists.
A Crucial Moment for Kerala’s Public Health System
The current situation places both the government and the medical fraternity at a critical crossroads. The issue is no longer just about salary and arrears, but about trust, dignity, and fair treatment of doctors working in the public health system. How the government responds in the coming days will determine not only the outcome of this strike, but also the future relationship between the State and its medical professionals.
For a State that takes pride in its public healthcare system, this crisis serves as a serious warning that neglecting the concerns of its doctors can have long term consequences for both healthcare delivery and medical education.
