By the side of National Highway 544 that fronts the Government Medical College in Palakkad, over a 100 doctors peacefully protested on Tuesday, August 10. They held banners that read, ‘Stop the human rights violation against doctors who work day and night - including COVID-duties,’ among others. After an hour, they duly returned to work. They had protested without making the slightest of noise while maintaining physical distance. Peaceful protests were also held in front of the Academic block, and newly opened OP block.
The doctors of the Government Medical College, known as Institute of Integrated Medical Sciences, Palakkad, staged a token strike over the non-payment of salaries since May this year. “We do our regular duty, COVID-duty, and teaching, without thinking about the risk to our families. We have been working hard every day since the pandemic. We don’t mind, either. After receiving our April salaries, we haven’t received a penny,” says Dr Reshma Sajan, Associate Professor at the Gynecology Department, with over 7.5 years of experience, and mother of three children. She says that it was only when the non-payment of salaries began to affect their livelihoods that the doctors decided to go on a strike.
Around 103 doctors were part of the strike, which took place at noon for an hour, demanding salaries be disbursed in full for about 441 employees at GMC. Reshma says, “Many struggle to pay their house rents. We have heard staff here discussing not having enough money to buy even groceries. We don’t need any recognition. We know the seriousness of the work we do. We are ready to work, too.” She also adds, “Unlike regular doctors, we are not permitted to conduct private practice at home. We are ready to work, as always. No matter how many [COVID] waves come and go, we will continue to deliver.” Their request, she says, is simple, “Don’t deny us our basic right, and give us our salaries in time. And there needs to be a permanent solution to the problem because we sincerely don’t want to go on a strike again.”
Established in 2014, the Institute of Integrated Medical Sciences, Palakkad, became the first medical college in the country to be run by the SC-ST Department. Every year 100 students are enrolled, out of which 70 seats are reserved for SC, two for ST, 13 for General, and 15 through National quota. There is no other college under the Department of Medical Education (DME) with such a reservation structure.
After a representation by the doctors and other medical staff was handed over to the Minister of Welfare of SC, ST and Backward classes on July 24, 2021, the state government issued an order for an ad hoc grant of Rs 10 crore on July 29, 2021 towards the payment of salaries for the employees. However, this came with a condition that ‘the administrative expenses shall not be sanctioned from plan funds, next year onwards.’
“It is not like the government realised that they will face a shortage of funds, just now,” says Dr Mohandas, from the surgery department with over five years of experience. “They need to have a heart,” he adds. Earlier, when the Director of Scheduled Castes and Development submitted a budget proposal for Rs 60.09 crore towards the administrative cost of the Palakkad GMC, only a token provision of Rs 1,000/ was allotted under the non plan head.
While Dr Mohandas is proud that the institute is the first medical college run by the SC-ST Department in the country, he adds, “I personally feel, there were not enough preparations. They started [the college] without necessary sanctions, or proper funds, and then invited people for job openings, recruited them, later told them they were permanent, and then retracted again, saying they weren’t, leading us to fight for permanency.”
It was a momentary relief for most of the doctors and staff when one month’s payment was credited at the end of the day after the protest. However, the house surgeons and former (non-academic) junior residents (JRs) of the Palakkad GMC, are yet to receive any payment and are in dire straits. The problems that the non-academic JRs from the 2015 MBBS batch face far outweighs those faced by the rest. After a year as house surgeons in the college, they would only work for two months as non-academic junior residents, a new post created in light of the pandemic.
On May 5, 2021, the Kerala government issued an order to retain the house surgeons in all government colleges for a period of three months as non-academic junior residents, citing the need for more staff for COVID and non-COVID care duties. Instead of stipend and treated as interns, they would receive a salary of Rs 42,000 per month. But this wouldn’t be the case for the JRs at the Government Medical College, Palakkad, who went on a strike a month before the other doctors did.
While the rest of the JRs in Kerala have received a salary of Rs 42,000 per month already, the JRs at GMC, Palakkad, had to recently agree in a meeting on August 5 with the Ottapalam Sub-collector, the special officer in charge, to accept a reduced salary of Rs 26,000 per month, for the time being, until the proposal to the Principal Secretary of SC-ST Department to increase this amount to Rs 42,000 is approved, which ‘would take time.’
“Even exam notifications are separate for us,” says Adhil Ali Khoya, a former non-academic Junior Resident at the Palakkad GMC, who is from Kayamkulam, but currently staying in Palakkad hoping that the salary issue will be settled soon. Though half of his batch has already left. The working orders for the Palakkad GMC, it seems, are different from the rest of the Government Medical colleges in Kerala, as it falls under the purview of the SC-ST Department.
When the salary to be disbursed to the house surgeons who would continue as Junior Residents in all the other government medical colleges in Kerala was clear as per the DME’s order dated May 5, 2021, in a separate order issued by the SC-ST Development Department, on May 5, 2021, it was mentioned that the expenditure for disbursal of salaries for non-academic junior residents of the GMC will be met from ‘the head of account (Plan) assistance for education of SC students’. Hence, leaving it unclear whether they would receive the same amount as others, even if they would have a similar functional role and status as junior residents in the other government medical colleges in the state.
“As most people are from SC and ST, the financial situation gets tough,” says Adhil. He says that there are many people waiting for this salary to meet monthly repayment of their loans; and all this, after fighting tooth and nail during the peak of the pandemic, and agreeing to a lesser amount for the time being, which has not been disbursed as well.
“A batch of about 60-strong who finished their house surgency, and joined here as Junior Residents weren’t paid a penny. They quit their jobs and left. They were mostly on COVID-duty,” says Dileep, Assistant Professor at the Orthopaedic Department. These JRs were mostly on COVID-19 duty at Kanjikode CFLTS, the District Hospital, Palakkad, and other COVID centres in the district.
“Everyone’s got the right to strike, but I feel it’s meaningless. The pending stipend for the house surgeons who left will be disbursed, too. And their terms have ended. It was just a three-month term. We cannot refuse their salaries. The government will do its bit,” says Dr Ignatius, the Principal of GMC Palakkad, while the Director refused to comment.
“There are about 103 doctors who were a part of this strike today. Roughly a quarter of the doctors here I know have been thinking of taking private jobs. Even, I have thought about it,” says Dr Arjun, lecturer at the Gynecology Department. On the other hand, Premadasan, a security staff at the college, who has to provide for his two children, wife, mother and a younger brother, says, “Because it’s an organisation under the Kerala government, we wait hopefully.” He has received a month’s salary and is awaiting two months pending pay.
Even after a month’s salary was credited to the accounts of the doctors and other staff after the protest, many told TNM that this doesn’t solve their problems. Their demands are for the timely disbursal of salary every month, here onwards, and payment of three months’ salary in full. Even if a month’s salary is a respite, they have made it clear in their issue of notice for the token strike that either their demands be met, or they will go on an indefinite strike, soon.
Hemanth Sreekumar is an independent journalist, who has contributed to numerous publications. A former travel anchor with Channel'D, Dubai, he has previously worked with TV9 (News9) in Bengaluru. He is currently based in Palakkad.