Fair Pay, Safe Working Conditions, and Dignity for Doctors in Kerala

Kerala’s healthcare system has long been respected for its high standards of patient care. Yet a deeply troubling reality persists within many private hospitals in the state. Qualified MBBS doctors are routinely offered salaries as low as ₹30,000–₹35,000 per month, despite undergoing more than 5.5 years of rigorous medical education and internship, and despite working long hours that include night duties, casualty responsibilities, and emergency care. Doctors carry enormous professional and legal responsibility for diagnosing illness, initiating treatment, and making life-saving decisions, yet many are paid wages that do not reflect the gravity of this responsibility.

At the same time, in several parts of the state unregistered practitioners and quacks continue to provide medical care, while qualified doctors struggle to find dignified employment with fair compensation. When trained doctors are undervalued and pushed into exploitative working conditions, it creates a dangerous environment that ultimately threatens patient safety and the integrity of the healthcare system.

This situation is particularly unacceptable in an era where corporate hospital chains are expanding rapidly, healthcare institutions are attracting large domestic and foreign investments, and hospitals are increasingly run as profit-driven enterprises. While hospitals grow financially and investors see increasing returns, the doctors who sustain the healthcare system are often left with inadequate salaries and exhausting work schedules. Hospitals cannot become money trees for investors while doctors are reduced to cheap labour.

Fatigue among doctors is also a major patient safety issue. In other high-responsibility sectors such as aviation, strict fatigue and duty regulations exist to protect public safety. Pilots are guaranteed structured rest periods, limits on night operations, and systematic fatigue monitoring because they are responsible for passenger safety. Doctors, who are responsible for the health and lives of hundreds or even thousands of patients, deserve similar safeguards.

We therefore call upon the Government of Kerala and relevant authorities to urgently establish clear and enforceable minimum standards for doctors working in private hospitals.

Our demands are as follows:

• Minimum ₹1.2 lakh monthly salary for MBBS doctors  
• Minimum ₹2 lakh monthly salary for postgraduate doctors and specialists  
• Mandatory weekly rest of at least 48 consecutive hours  
• Limits on excessive night duties and continuous duty hours to prevent fatigue  
• Structured monitoring of doctor workload and fatigue in hospitals  
• Strict action against unregistered practitioners and illegal medical practice

Ensuring fair compensation and safe working conditions for doctors is not merely a professional demand. It is essential to protect the dignity of the medical profession and to safeguard the quality and safety of healthcare delivered to the people of Kerala.

The time has come to restore fairness, dignity, and accountability to the medical profession.

Who is impacted?

Thousands of young doctors working in private hospitals across Kerala are directly affected by the ongoing issue of extremely low salaries and poor working conditions. Despite completing more than 5.5 years of rigorous medical education and internship, many MBBS doctors are offered salaries as low as ₹30,000–₹35,000 per month while working long hours, night shifts, and emergency duties with significant legal and professional responsibility. At the same time, patients are also indirectly affected when exhausted and undervalued doctors are expected to deliver high-quality medical care under stressful and exploitative conditions. The presence of unregistered practitioners and quacks in some areas further worsens the situation, especially when qualified doctors are unable to secure dignified employment.

What is at stake?  

If this situation continues, the consequences will extend far beyond doctors alone. Persistent underpayment will drive young medical professionals to leave Kerala for better opportunities in other states or abroad, worsening the shortage of qualified doctors locally. Burnout, high turnover, and dependence on underqualified practitioners may compromise patient safety and weaken the quality of healthcare services. This is particularly concerning in an era where many hospitals are expanding rapidly, attracting corporate and foreign investments, and generating significant revenues. A healthcare system cannot remain credible if hospitals grow financially while the doctors sustaining the system are undervalued and treated as cheap labour.

Why is now the time to act?  
Kerala has built its reputation as one of India’s most respected healthcare systems, but protecting this legacy requires immediate action. Establishing fair minimum salary standards and dignified working conditions for doctors is essential to safeguard both the medical profession and patient care. Addressing the exploitation of young doctors today will strengthen the stability of the healthcare workforce, discourage illegal medical practice, and ensure that qualified professionals continue to serve the people of Kerala. The time has come for policymakers, hospital administrations, and the medical community to work together to restore fairness, dignity, and accountability in the healthcare sector.