From frying pan to fire, Kerala junior doctors involved in Covid-19 care plead for justice

For over 950 doctors who just passed out of the government medical colleges in Kerala, it has been like jumping from the frying pan to fire as they were engaged in the Covid-19 front-line activities. Many of them are forced to work continuously for days and remain in quarantine, and that too with no remuneration for nearly three months.

Despite the repeated pleas of the junior doctors, steps to pay remuneration has been progressing only at snail's pace citing technical reasons. This has forced the junior doctors to approach the Kerala High Court under the banner Kerala Junior Doctors' Association (KJDA) seeking justice.

It was towards the end of their mandatory house surgency of MBBS course in March that COVID broke out in Kerala and they were posted in Covid care centres attached to medical colleges from nearly one month by extending their house surgency.

Afterwards, even before they got the mandatory registration, the state government posted them at Primacy Health Centres, Community Health Centres and Family Health centres across Kerala, without specifying any remuneration or designation, but reminding the warning of stringent action under the epidemic rules in case of non-adherence.

They allege that the medical officers of many health centres abstained from duty and hence they were overburdened with taking care of the daily activities at the health centres to the collection of swabs from Covid-19 suspects. Later when Covid-19 First-Line Treatment Centres were opened, many were deployed there also. In Ernakulam, one junior doctor had to work continuously for ten days in a row round the clock at CFLTCs.

KJDA secretary Dr Krishna Priya said that not only that they had not yet received any single penny so far for meeting basic expenses like travel, their future career was also affected. Since their house surgency got extended they could not apply for the Kerala Public Service Commission recruitment test. While those who passed out from private colleges could now prepare for post-graduate entrance exams, they could not prepare because of the hectic work. Many had also paid fee at coaching centres in advance.

After strong pressure by the junior doctors, the state government issued an order fixing their remuneration at Rs. 42,000. But since no specific designation was fixed their salaries could not be disbursed through the state government payroll management system. Now the junior doctors are also concerned whether the government would extend their service forcefully as their three-month term is ending shortly.