Thiruvananthapuram/Alappuzha: The functioning of hospitals in both government and private sector was totally paralysed on Friday as doctors boycotted their OP duties. The doctors were on strike as part of a national agitation called by Indian Medical Association (IMA) against central government’s decision to allow Ayurveda doctors to perform general surgeries.
There were long queues in medical college hospitals and in the hospitals under the health service as many of the people were unaware of the strike. Some people had an agonizing wait at hospitals for long hours and had to return without getting medical attention.
However, the casualty wings of hospitals functioned normally and due to that, the emergency cases were attended. Most of the emergency wings were operated with skeletal staff and also with the support of medical students.
In the morning, the doctors staged a dharna before the Raj Bhavan. IMA state president Dr P T Zacharias, who inaugurated the dharna, sought immediate withdrawal of the notification by 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 integrating all systems of medicines.
Apart from the IMA, the representatives of Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA), Kerala Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA), Kerala Private Hospitals Association, Indian Dental Association, Catholic Health Association of India, Kerala Government Specialist Doctors Association and Kerala Post Graduate Medical Teachers Association also took part in the dharna organized before the Raj Bhavan.
The doctors carried out similar protests in all the districts after boycotting the OP duties. Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) central executive committee member Dr P S Shajahan said, “It is a token strike and all the doctors in the country joined hands together for the success of the strike. We will continue our agitation till our demands are met.”