Karnataka Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) members have decided to stop attending to patients from February 15 in protest against the government's failure to implement the revised pay scales which they had demanded.

The doctors submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, asking him to accept their demands failing which the 4,199 doctors from the Association would all set to quit.

Dr HN Ravindra, president, KGMOA, said that all medical doctors under the Association would stop working from February 15 if the government fails to take a decision by February 10.

"It has been three months since the state government announced an increase in salary but it has not been implemented. We have decided to go on sick leave from February 15. The KGMOA doctors will not attend emergency or casualty services at the designated desks," he said.

Last year, the doctors from the KGMOA has submitted their resignations on September 29, after the government ignored the demands. Following a Cabinet decision, the government had announced on October 29, 2009 a hike in pay which was to be implemented from the same month. But till date, the same had not been implemented.

"As we have already submitted our resignations, we will just ask the government to relieve us from our duties," he said.

According to Health and Family secretary Ramana Reddy, all the demands have been fulfilled except one particular issue which still needs to be resolved. But the members of the KGMOA want all the demands to be met at the same time.

However, Dr Ravindra, said that the key issue pending for approval was the consideration of contract period for claiming allowances. The government is quiet on the issue of contract service period although there was an agreement to confirm the post graduate students working on contractual basis, he added.