Kochi, June 27 (IANS) The Indian Medical Association (IMA), 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

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