The Calicut unit of the Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA) has sought immediate steps to complete the process of appointment of non-academic junior resident (NAJR) doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode.
Functionaries of the association said here on Thursday (June 26, 2025) that the house surgency for the 2019 MBBS batch officially ended on June 23. The sudden exit of nearly 250 doctors has left a major gap in the system as the next batch was yet to complete their exams. 鈥淲ith many departments already functioning with vacant posts of assistant professors and senior resident doctors, postgraduate (PG) doctors are forced to handle the additional workload,鈥 they claimed.
They pointed out that the number of patients seeking treatment has gone up at the Kozhikode MCH, a major referral centre in the Malabar region, with the onset of monsoon. The shortage of house surgeons was visibly impacting patient care. Over the past few days, the PG doctors had been shouldering the burden.
The KMPGA functionaries claimed that the combined effect of staff shortage, overcrowded outpatient and emergency departments, and relentless work pressure was pushing the system to a breaking point. If left unaddressed, incidents like the recent assault on doctors that was reported at the Thiruvananthapuram MCH could become a reality here too, they said. They added that the workload was taking a serious toll on the mental and physical well-being of the PG doctors as well. With final-year exams approaching, many were struggling to focus on their academics. The association pointed out that they would be forced to launch a protest if there was no solution to the crisis.
The KMPGA leaders said that the association had alerted the Health department, the Director of Medical Education, and the college Principal as early as mid-March about the impending crisis. Following this, the government approved the creation of around 120 NAJR posts in all medical colleges. However, even after the completion of the house surgency of the 2019 batch, the appointment process remains incomplete. Around 70 candidates have reportedly applied for the estimated 120 NAJR posts, but without a clear decision on their roles and duties, the appointments continue to be delayed, the KMPGA leaders added.
Hospital sources, however, said that the time lag in conducting the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for medical undergraduate courses since the COVID period, and the delay in starting MBBS course, its exams, and their results had led to the current situation. It would take at least three months for the new batch of house surgeons to take charge, they added.