Kerala Medical College Crisis: Indefinite OP Boycott Escalates Amid Systemic Pay Disputes

Medical professionals across Kerala's government medical colleges have initiated an indefinite boycott of outpatient (OP) services, marking a significant escalation in long-standing labor disputes. The action, which commenced on January 22, has effectively paralyzed routine healthcare delivery at these institutions, with academic activities also suspended. Core grievances center on the non-payment of pay revision arrears outstanding since 2016, unresolved anomalies in the 2016 pay revision implementation, and critical staffing shortages exacerbated by unfilled physician positions. This coordinated work stoppage reflects deep-seated systemic failures in administrative and financial governance within Kerala's public health education sector. The indefinite nature of the boycott signals a breakdown in negotiations and poses substantial risks to both patient care continuity and medical training pipelines. Analysis suggests the dispute transcends immediate remuneration issues, highlighting broader institutional challenges in resource allocation, bureaucratic efficiency, and workforce management within state-run medical facilities. The sustained disruption threatens to compound existing healthcare backlogs and undermine public confidence in Kerala's medical infrastructure, necessitating urgent high-level intervention to address the fundamental administrative and fiscal deficiencies at the heart of the crisis.