Thiruvananthapuram: The nationwide strike called by Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday, will hit the functioning of all private and government hospitals in Kerala. IMA has called for a nationwide strike to protest against the Centre’s decision to allow postgraduate practitioners of Ayurveda to perform general surgeries.
Stating that the notification issued by the Central Council of Indian Medicine — to allow the legal practice of surgeries by ayurveda practitioners and the formation of four committees by Niti Aayog for the integration of all systems of medicine — will only lead to ‘mixopathy’, IMA has demanded an immediate withdrawal of both options.
Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) and Kerala Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) have already pledged their support to IMA’s strike. Doctors in health services and medical college hospitals will boycott routine outpatient (OP) duties on Friday.
However, they will take part in strike without affecting emergency services, including Covid duties in all government hospitals. Only a skeletal team of doctors will be attending duties in these hospitals.
“We will not be attending general OPs and all elective surgeries have been postponed. However, doctors will attend all inpatients who are admitted in wards. All emergency services will be operational,” said Dr G S Vijayakrishnan, state secretary of KGMOA. The doctors have decided not to boycott Covid duties since it has been considered as an emergency service. Hence doctors will attend duties at first line treatment centres and all Covid hospitals. The strike will affect the functioning of medical college hospitals.
“Doctors will be attending only emergency surgeries, labour room duties, inpatient care and ICU duties. The doctors will also attend duties at the casualty wings,” said Dr Nirmal Bhaskar, state secretary of KGMCTA.
Since IMA has called for a strike from 6am to 6pm, the functioning of private hospitals will be hit severely as there will be no routine OPs for the entire day. However, here too doctors have decided to attend emergency services and hence all casualty departments of these hospitals will be functioning.