Kerala Medical College Doctors to halt OPD services on November 29 amid protest

Thiruvananthapuram: The ongoing protest by doctors in Kerala, which began on October 20, has now entered its sixth week. As part of the agitation, doctors under the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA) have announced that they will boycott outpatient (OP) services in all government medical colleges on November 29.

In addition, they will also skip theory classes for medical students on the same day. The association, however, has assured the public that all emergency services, including casualty, labour room, ICU, and surgeries, will function as usual.

Also read- Kerala Medical College Teachers announce protest over unresolved demands

This step was part of their protest plan scheduled from October 20 to November 29. Since the government has still not addressed their demands despite more than a month of demonstrations, the association said the agitation will continue, and KGMCTA will stay away from any official discussions. Protest meetings will also be held in all medical colleges.

However, if there is no favourable decision in the coming days, the association said that they will have to move towards an indefinite strike with greater force.

The association has been demanding the rectification of pay revision anomalies and discrepancies in the entry-level pay of Assistant Professors, immediate payment of pending pay revision arrears since 2016 and creation of adequate faculty posts in new medical colleges as per National Medical Commission norms and in all other medical colleges based on patient load.

Speaking to The Hindu, KGMCTA said, "We were forced to intensify our agitation as the government chose to ignore our long-standing demands. We appeal to the public to avoid hospital visits for non-emergency needs on the protest days so that they are not put to difficulties."

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that, protesting against the State Government's failure to address long-pending demands, including delayed pay revisions and staff shortages, doctors announced a boycott of outpatient services on October 28, 2025.

For the last couple of months, the association has been protesting against the inaction on the part of the state government. The association commenced its protest on July 1, raising its demands. Accordingly, the association announced its decision to boycott outpatient duties on Tuesday. It further announced that the medical college doctors will not come to the OP clinics on October 28 (Tuesday), November 5 (Wednesday), November 13 (Thursday), November 21 (Friday), and November 29 (Saturday).

Also read- Kerala Govt doctors boycott OPD, warn of indefinite strike over pending demands