Thousands of outpatients had to bear the brunt of a strike by doctors in government and private hospitals and private medical practitioners called by the district chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday in protest against the alleged attack on a doctor in Vadakara recently.
Members of the IMA branches in Kozhikode, Feroke, Balussery, Thamarassery, Nadapuram, Perambra, Koyilandy, and Mukkom joined the strike, according to Ajit Basker, chairman, district task force, IMA.
Doctors did not attend duty at the district government hospital, taluk hospitals, community health centres, and primary health centres.
Sunil Kumar P.S., district secretary, Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association, said that only immunisation programmes and emergency cases were exempted. Services at the Government Medical College were not hit much. According to sources, outpatient services in private hospitals such as Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences and Baby Memorial Hospital too were affected.
V.G. Pradeep Kumar, State president, IMA, claimed that the strike was total.
Patients from the rural areas were the worst hit as many of them did not have any idea about the strike. Some of them had to return home too.
Dr. Basker said that a delegation of the IMA met M.K. Pushkaran, Superintendent of Police (Rural), and urged him to arrest those who are involved in the attack on the doctor in Vadakara. “Though a case has been filed, the accused have not been arrested yet. The SP has promised us swift action,” he said.
Dr. Basker alleged that many police officials were not even aware of the provisions of the Hospital Protection Act that makes attack on hospitals a non-bailable offence.
Members of the IMA took out a march and staged a dharna outside the Civil Station.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pradeep Kumar said that if the culprits in the attack in Vadakara were not arrested, the protest would be extended across the State.
Sources in the IMA said an emergency meeting of the action committee in Kozhikode on Sunday would discuss the future course of action.
“If our demands are not met, we will think of even boycotting emergency services,” the sources added.
