Kochi: Following a discussion with the Health Minister of Kerala, the teachers at Government Medical College Hospital, Kalamassery, have decided to withdraw their strike for two weeks.
With the withdrawal of the strike by the teachers, the classes that were suspended since January 29 would start again in the hospital. Along with resuming classes, plans of taking extra hours to make up for the lost time have also been under consideration.
The Medical College teachers had started the protest with the demands regarding the payment of arrears and allowances after salary revision.
team had earlier reported that with the demand of rectifying anomalies in the pay revision of the college lecturers, a section of government medical college doctors led by the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) and the Kerala Government Postgraduate Medical Teachers Association (KGPMTA) had staged a one-day relay hunger strike.
The protesting doctors had stated that the anomalies were in the pay structure of entry care doctors, resulting in a shortfall of around Rs 15,000 for those who had joined service after 2016. The organization had also demanded that the government should take immediate steps to ensure that the teachers of the government medical college would not be dragged down the path of the strike.
Also Read: Anomalies in pay revision, arrears due since 2016: Kerala doctors go on hunger strike
As per the latest media report by The Hindu, Abdul Zalam M.K., president of the Parent-Teacher Association of the medical college, has expressed his worries regarding the entire matter as the examinations for the final-year students have been scheduled in April. Abdul Zalam M.K, who is also a parent of a final-year student, has expressed his concern on the issue as the strike had hit academics, and gynaecology and paediatric departments had still not been open for inpatient services.
Meanwhile, the Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr. Peter Vazhayil has informed The Hindu that the inpatient medical services had been resumed in the hospital from February 4.
He added, "But paediatric and gynaecology departments cannot be opened up for inpatient facilities till the Aluva District Hospital starts functioning. The MCH is the only hospital where a C-section can be done on a COVID positive patient. Other surgeries for COVID patients are also still being done at the hospital."
While commenting on the limited clinical exposure a final-year student, unwilling to be identified, told the daily, "We are now getting only around a month of clinical exposure, before the study leave for the exams." This has happened as the hospital has started the inpatient services only recently, leaving a very few students for the final-year students to learn.
Dr Vazhayil, while commenting on the issue, stated that "It would take a while for patients to overcome their hesitation to return to a facility that has been running exclusively as a COVID care centre."
Dr V. Satheesh, Principal of the college, mentioned, "The space crunch at the medical college makes it difficult to resume all non-COVID services and run critical care services for COVID simultaneously."
Also Read: Kerala Doctors plan Hunger Strike demanding Pay arrears due since 2016