Kochi, June 27 (IANS). The Kerala state branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has demanded the Kerala government to immediately make changes in the salary structure of junior doctors. The association has described the current salaries paid to young medical professionals as very low and warned that low salaries could lead to an increase in the exodus of doctors from the state.
The demand has arisen following the recent notification issued by the Government Medical College, Thrissur for the post of Casualty Medical Officer (CMO), in which MBBS qualified doctors were offered a monthly salary of only Rs 42,000.
IMA has demanded that the minimum monthly salary for junior doctors should be increased to Rs 80,000.
Terming the current salary structure as inadequate for doctors’ responsibilities, the association said young medical professionals undergo more than 5.5 years of rigorous medical education and mandatory training before entering one of the most challenging professions in the country.
The association said that despite taking life-saving decisions and performing important medico-legal responsibilities in emergency departments, they are paid much less than many government employees whose professional qualifications are much lower than them.
IMA cited the example of the post of security officer in a university in Kerala, for which only B.Sc qualification is required, but the starting salary ranges from Rs 55,200 to Rs 1.15 lakh per month.
The purpose of this comparison was not to question the salaries of other government employees, but to highlight the difference in salaries received by doctors who are responsible for saving human lives.
Describing junior doctors as the backbone of government hospitals, the association said they handle most of the patient care work in casualty departments, intensive care units, medical and surgical wards and labor rooms and often work long shifts under immense physical and mental pressure.
The IMA warned that talented young doctors already in Kerala are moving to other states and abroad in search of better salaries and working conditions.
Unless the government provides good salaries at the entry level, it will be difficult for the state to retain skilled medical professionals, which will ultimately impact the quality of public healthcare.
Urging the government to immediately review the salary fixed for Casualty Medical Officers and other junior doctors, IMA Kerala State President MN Menon and State Secretary Roy R. Chandran said ensuring fair pay is not only a matter of professional respect, but also necessary to protect Kerala’s healthcare system and retain its best medical talent.
–IANS
DKM/DKP