Kerala doctors observe `tolerance day', work extra hour against government's salary cut move

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 1 (ANI): Kerala Government doctors observed `tolerance day' (sahana dinam) by putting in an hour of extra duty against the government's move of salary cut of government employees including doctors and paramedical staff.
State general secretary of Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association Dr GS Vijayakrishnan said there have been court verdicts that there should be no salary cuts for doctors and other healthcare staff.
"Kerala government doctors are observing tolerance day today. Kerala healthcare workers including doctors are tirelessly working to contain COVID-19 in the state. The mortality level in the state stands at 0.54 per cent. Kerala government is not considering the work of doctors or medical staff as significant in these times like other states are doing," Vijayakrishnan told ANI.
"The central government has offered Rs 50 lakh insurance cover to medical staff including ASHA workers. Many other states are giving incentives or additional salaries to doctors. Kerala government is implementing salary cuts for all government employees including doctors and paramedical staff. The central government has issued orders to states that doctors and disaster management staff should get salary on time," he added.
Dr Vijayakrishnan said that the Association has given representations to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter.
"We have been regularly giving representations to Chief Minister Vijayan over the past three months on this matter. We have even given representation to Prime Minister Modi. The state government did not consider our issues in time," he said.
The state government has decided to deduct six days salary of government employees for five months to mobilise resources to fight COVID-19.
Kerala has reported 4,442 COVID-19 cases of which 2,306 patients have recovered or have been discharged. The state has 2,112 active cases and 24 persons have died due to coronavirus. (ANI)