THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While assuring striking resident doctors (PG students) in government medical colleges that discussions will be held with them soon to resolve outstanding issues, the government on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, appointed 307 Non-Academic Junior Residents (NAJRs) in a bid to ease the workload of the PG medicos.
Health Minister Veena George who met representatives of the PG medicos on Tuesday assured them that a date for discussions will be announced soon. Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Director of Medical Education and Joint Director of Medical Education will also be part of the discussions, the Minister’s office announced.
The resident doctors have been on an agitation demanding that the government should urgently fill the gap of over 1,000 vacancies created due to the delay in starting the new medical PG batch. The striking resident doctors’ decision to also boycott the emergency services from December 9 had hit the functioning of MCHs severely.
Announcing the 307 NAJR appointments, the health minister’s office said MBBS graduates have been deployed in seven medical colleges in the state and have started working. The government had earlier decided to appoint 373 NAJRs at a monthly salary of Rs 45,000 in MCHs in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Thrissur, Kannur and Ernakulam. The remaining appointments will be carried out soon, the minister said.