PG Medicos Stage Mass 'Blood Donation' Protest

Last week, they had protested demanding a hike in the stipend by taking up 24 hours duty.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The PG medicos in the state on Tuesday staged a mass ‘blood donation’ protest as part of their agitation against the government’s refusal to hike their stipend. As many as 500 of the PG students donated blood as part of the protest.

This is the second such agitation in which PG medicos, under the banner of the Kerala Medical Post Graduates Association, are protesting without affecting patient care. Last week, they had protested demanding a hike in the stipend by taking up 24 hours duty.

KMPGA state president Dr Antony Stanley and All-Kerala Dental Residents Association president Dr Prasanth S P together inaugurated the protest at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) general secretary Dr Kavitha Ravi and Kerala Government Medical Officers Association representative Dr Wilson were also present.

KMPGA general secretary Dr Bipin P led the protest at the Kottayam Medical College. The agitation in Alappuzha was led by association unit secretary Dr Sarath Roy. Dr Ajith Paleikara, KMPGA Thrissur unit secretary, and Kozhikode unit president Dr Mustafa led the agitations in the respective medical colleges.  Stanley said that they would be forced to intensify the agitation if the government was not for agreeing to the demands. Though the government had made several promises many times, nothing had materialised, which forced the students to go for agitations, he said. 

The PG students here get a stipend of Rs 32,000 per month, whereas the net national average of stipend across state is Rs 47,500.