Kerala: IMA demands minimum Rs 80,000 monthly salary for junior doctors
Kochi, June 27
The Indian Medical Association, Kerala State Branch, has urged the Kerala government to immediately revise the salary structure of junior doctors, describing the remuneration currently offered to young medical professionals as grossly inadequate and warning that poor pay could accelerate the exodus of doctors from the state.
The demand follows a recent notification issued by the Government Medical College, Thrissur, inviting applications for the post of Casualty Medical Officer (CMO), in which MBBS-qualified doctors were offered a monthly salary of just Rs 42,000.
The IMA has demanded that the minimum monthly remuneration for junior doctors be raised to Rs 80,000.
Describing the existing pay structure as inconsistent with the responsibilities entrusted to doctors, the association noted that young medical professionals undergo more than 5.5 years of rigorous medical education and compulsory training before entering one of the country's most demanding professions.
Despite being responsible for life-saving decisions in emergency departments and bearing significant medico-legal responsibilities, they are paid far less than many other government employees with substantially lower professional qualifications, it said.
The IMA cited the example of a Security Officer post at a Kerala university, which requires only a B.Sc. qualification but carries a starting salary of Rs 55,200 to Rs 1.15 lakh per month.
It clarified that the comparison was not intended to question the remuneration of other government employees, but to highlight the disparity in the compensation paid to doctors entrusted with safeguarding human lives.
Calling junior doctors the backbone of government hospitals, the association said they shoulder the bulk of patient care in casualty departments, intensive care units, medical and surgical wards and labour rooms, often working prolonged shifts under intense physical and emotional pressure.
The IMA warned that Kerala was already witnessing a steady migration of talented young doctors to other states and overseas in search of better salaries and working conditions.
Unless the government offers competitive remuneration at the entry level, the state would struggle to retain skilled medical professionals, ultimately affecting the quality of public healthcare, it said.
Urging the government to immediately review the salary fixed for Casualty Medical Officers and other junior doctors, IMA Kerala State President M.N. Menon and State Secretary Roy R. Chandran said ensuring fair remuneration was not merely a matter of professional dignity but essential for protecting Kerala's healthcare system and retaining its best medical talent.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm a junior doc in Kottayam. The IMA is absolutely correct. We regularly do 36-hour shifts during emergencies, and our basic pay barely covers rent and travel. The exodus to Gulf countries is real - my batchmates in Dubai earn 4-5 times more than me. If we want good doctors in Kerala government hospitals, pay them properly!
While I support higher pay for doctors, we also need to see the bigger picture. Kerala's healthcare budget is already stretched. Instead of just demanding higher salaries, maybe the IMA should also push for better hospital infrastructure and more efficient resource allocation. Rs 80,000 minimum is fair, but we need systemic reforms too.
As a Canadian who worked in Kerala for a short time, I was shocked at how little junior doctors earned given their responsibilities. In Canada, even interns start at around CAD 60,000 which is roughly Rs 36 lakh per year. Rs 42,000 per month is just over Rs 5 lakh annually - that's criminal for life-saving work. Kerala needs to compete globally or lose its best talent.
I have mixed feelings. Yes, doctors deserve more respect and pay, but Rs 80,000 for a fresher MBBS? In a state where a nurse gets Rs 25,000 and a school teacher Rs 30,000, this seems steep. The comparison with security guards is valid, but we also need to ensure other healthcare workers like nurses and paramedics get fair wages too. Otherwise we'll have hierarchy issues in hospitals.
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