The indefinite strike by the junior doctors working in the government service in Kerala was called off on Sunday following the discussions held with Health Minister KK Shailaja.

The Health Minister reportedly assured the doctors that the number of posts will be increased so that doctors could enter government service after post-graduation.

The junior doctors had launched an indefinite strike on Friday to protest against the government decision to increase the pension age of doctors in health services and medical colleges.

Their other demands included recruitment of doctors to posts that have been lying vacant and increase in the number of posts.

“The Health Department has created 175 new posts, hence the chances of those who are entering the government service will not be lost due to the raise in the pension age,” the minister assured.

“The creation of new posts will ensure the entry of more people into the service,” the minister said.

The minister told the doctors that more posts will be created as part of the government’s Aardram project and also that the vacant posts which haven’t been reported would be identified and filled. The Aardram project aims at creating a people-friendly health delivery system in the state.

The minister told media that a consensus has been reached with the junior doctors on how many posts should be created in the coming year and that it would be two or three times higher than the existing ones.

The minister added that the demand of the doctors to increase the number of PG seats will also be considered.

Post-graduate doctors, senior resident doctors and house surgeons took part in the strike that was launched under the Kerala Medical Joint Action Council.

The government, however, didn’t review the decision of increasing the pension age, which was the main demand of the medicos. The government initiated the discussion when the medicos were about to start fasting to intensify the strike.