Medical College teachers to stay off work on January 9 in Kochi

Kochi: The reported delay in the assimilation of the employees of Government Medical College (GMC), Ernakulam with the Directorate of Medical Education, despite repeated intervention assurances, on the issue, by the government has led to the Cochin Medical College Teachers Association (CMCTA), give a call for staying off work on January 9. The employees association had planned to go on strike on October 5, last year, but decided against it when promised a 'look in' by the government. However, with passing time, said CMCTA Secretary Dr. Unnikrishnan G, it has been observed that the state authorities have done little about it; despite their assurances and constant reminders by the aggrieved.

The Association alleging indifference on the part of the Health Department, despite details regarding employee qualifications, police verification and documents on permanent employment having been sent to the government, long ago, has categorically stated it to have resulted in “breaking the morale of the employees.

The association is of the view that even after four years of government take-over of the college from the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education, the employees continue to be treated as “outsiders”; while efforts are on to expand the institution into a full-fledged medical college, say a peeved aggrieved.

According to the association even during the time of a strike called by junior doctors and house surgeons and a number of faculty members leaving the college on an earlier occasion doctors at the institution had continued to offer patient care services with whatever facilities were available at hand, Association, President, C.H. Nazeem told the Hindu.

In an earlier story done by the MedicalDialogues team, it was reported that the distribution of salaries of the 900 odd staff members at Ernakulam Medical College(EMC), has been facing incessant delays due to problems of integration.

Despite the college undergoing a government take over years ago from the Co-operative Academy for Professional Education (CAPE), the staff of the institution were yet to be technically absorbed into government service.

“A total of 350 permanent staff under CAPE has been absorbed into the government service through a government order some time ago, but the concurrence of PSC to their posting is yet to come because of which they have not been allotted PEN (Permanent Employee Number) which is used in the SPARK software for distribution of salary. This is hitting proper salary distribution,” said a medical college employee.

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