Patients at private and government hospitals in the district as well as the government medical college are likely to be affected by the dawn-to-dusk medical bandh on Tuesday.
The bandh was announced by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in protest against the provisions in the National Medical Commission Bill. The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) extended its support to the protest by boycotting outpatient services at government hospitals.
IMA functionaries said in a press release on Monday that doctors would not attend outpatient duties from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Casualty and emergency services, however, will be spared. KGMOA office-bearers said that government doctors would also boycott private practice. The functioning of the medical college hospital, already hit by the strike by postgraduate students and house surgeons, may is likely to be affected.
IMA functionaries said that the provision permitting practitioners of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy to practise modern medicine through a bridge course would adversely affect the public health system. They added that the move to introduce a licence test for medical graduates will reduce the clinical expertise of doctors.
They added that the plan to remove restrictions on fee at private medical colleges would make medical education costly. The proposed procedures in the Bill for obtaining licence for medical colleges will breed corruption, they pointed out. KGMOA leaders said the Bill would disrupt research and development in modern medicine.
