MINUTES OF ONLINE MEETING OF IAPM KERALA CHAPTER on 8/7/2025

Agenda: Discussion on standardisation of laboratory rates for tests signed out by Pathologists.

 Meeting started at 7.30 pm, 8/7/2025 on zoom platform

 32 members participated

 Dr Neena Mampilly, the President IAPM Kerala chapter, welcomed the participants and initiated the discussion

 Dr Ani Praveen, immediate past IAPM Secretary presented the minutes of General body meeting on 10-04-2023 regarding the standardisation of laboratory rates for tests signed out by Pathologists.

 Dr Rajan G, immediate past President, suggested to demand a decent salary for pathologists instead of asking for revising the rate of individual investigations. He also suggested whether the ethic committee of IMA can help in stopping the financial cut given to clinicians for investigations, which causes the pathologist’s loss of pay.

 Dr Bhubaneswari suggested whether pathologist can get percentage cut per investigation as payment similar to clinicians. Though a novel idea, her proposal was not supported by others as investigation numbers varies from lab to lab.

 Hence it was decided that basic salary should be fixed for the pathologist in every centre in Kerala

 All participants accepted this and decided to negotiate with the lab owners’ association for a starting pay of Rs 1.5 lakh per month for a fresh MD, post SR pathologist for 8 hr duty and 75K for 4 hr duty. With a hike to 1.75 lakhs after 3 yr experience and 2.25 lakhs after 5 yrs experience

 Revised rate for investigations were also accepted for negotiation (please see the separate pdf below) with the lab owners association in the zoom meeting on 8/7/25.

 It was also decided that all pathologists should stand united for this cause and be even ready for a statewide strike, if needed, to materialise the uniformity in the pay across the state

 All the pathologists who are also lab owners were requested to attend tomorrows online meet to sort out the issue.

The meeting ended at 8.45 pm