Indefinite stir by govt doctors from today

Government doctors, under the banner of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA), will go on a Statewide indefinite strike from Friday in protest against the suspension of a doctor at the Kumaramputhoor family health centre (FHC) in Palakkad.

The strike declaration came out of the blue late evening on Thursday. KGMOA general secretary V. Jithesh said that doctors would boycott outpatient (OP) clinics and that no services except casualty medical services will be run by doctors in government health institutions from Friday. They will also stay away from private practice.

The KGMOA has been on the warpath for a while, claiming that they cannot run the evening OP clinics in family health centres under the Aardram Mission with the three doctors provided and that at least five doctors need to be recruited in every FHC if the OP hours were to be extended till 6 p.m.

The Kumaramputhoor FHC already has four doctors. An additional doctor used to be arranged by the District Medical Officer to run the evening OP. The evening OP clinic has been not functioning for 10 days in the absence of this doctor.

On Thursday, the government ordered the suspension of a doctor, Jismi, after she refused to turn up for the evening OP duty.