Doctors stage dharna against GO on night shift

Work at hospitals not affected, say doctors

Representatives from all government hospitals in Kozhikode district took part in a one-day dharna organised by the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) at the Directorate of Health Sciences in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

The dharna was held to protest against the recent government order (GO) that the required the doctors to work on additional shift along with the night shift to make them eligible for availing themselves of an off day at the end of the night shift.

District president of the association Dr. M. Kesavanunny said the normal functioning of the hospitals was in no way affected due to the absence of the doctors who had gone on leave to take part in the dharna.

General body meeting

The association would discuss the issue further in its State general body meeting to be held on January 25 and 26.

Further protest measures would be planned accordingly, Dr. Kesavanunny said.

The doctors were apprehensive regarding the provision for taking their day off after a 12-hour night duty.

Provision for off day

As per the order, a doctor may take off only with the permission of the medical officer-in-charge and only if his absence would not affect the normal functioning of the hospital.

Accordingly, a doctor may end up working up to 23 hours continuously if he was not allowed the off day after the night duty.

The directorate, however, claimed that the government order was passed to tackle the shortage of staff in the hospitals.