THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The junior doctors who had threatened to quit en masse on September 10 protesting against the salary cut decided to withhold the same till September 20. According to them, the decision was taken after they got an assurance from the health department that their issues will be resolved.
Earlier, 868 junior doctors had stated that if the government didn’t come out with an order promising full salary before September 10, they would resign from their job. The doctors had joined on a temporary basis for three months and were offered a salary of Rs 42,000. However, they alleged that they got the salary with a 20 per cent cut as part of the salary challenge.
TNIE reported that a re-consideration on salary cut of junior doctors is likely as the health minister’s office had written to the finance department to check the practicality of giving full salary for junior doctors without any cut.
Meanwhile, junior nurses who were on a protest path demanding increase in stipend rates decided to withdraw stir. They said they got a promise from Health Minister K K Shailaja that their stipend will be increased to `16, 680. They will rejoin duty on Saturday.