The functioning of government hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts was affected on Monday following a strike called by the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) in protest against the action initiated against doctors in connection with the death of Bihari youngster Satnam Singh at a mental health centre here earlier this month.
Doctors attended casualty duty and were available for emergency surgeries. At the casualty wings where the authorities concerned failed to post doctors, specialist doctors stood in, according to a statement issued here by KGMOA State president O. Vasudevan. Dr. Vasudevan alleged that the suspended doctors were made scapegoats on the basis of a false report. He added that the post-mortem examination report was on the same lines as the police investigation had revealed and no facts had been concealed. However, since the body was kept in the morgue for more than 24 hours, the exact time of death could not be ascertained. He alleged that the departmental procedures on the probe report were not followed before initiating action against the doctors. Dr. Vasudevan said an inquiry should be conducted against the official who had submitted the false report and sought action against the official apart from revoking the suspension of the doctors. The KGMOA president warned that the strike would be extended to other parts of the State if the government failed to heed its demands. The government would solely be responsible for any inconvenience caused to the public, he added.
In a separate press release, the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) said duty doctors were unnecessarily being victimised and dragged into the case.
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K. Mohanan, KGMCTA president, and secretary S. Kishore said “such knee-jerk reactions” of the government resulting in the transfer and suspension of the doctors were unfortunate and unwarranted. They said an impartial inquiry should be conducted into the circumstances leading to the death of Satnam Singh so as to establish the truth