Government doctors, under the banner of Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA), will boycott speciality OP clinics and elective surgeries on Friday in protest against the police refusal to arrest the accused in assaulting a doctor in Mavelikkara district hospital six weeks ago.
Outpatient services will be boycotted for an hour from 10 a.m. in all government hospitals when doctors will hold protest meetings. However, emergency services and surgeries, inpatient care, labour room service and COVID care will not be affected.
In a statement here on Thursday, KGMOA said they were forced to intensity their protest as the government had chosen to ignore the incident, despite the interventions made by the KGMOA.
The KGMOA demanded that the police officer, who is accused of having assaulted the doctor, be arrested immediately and other legal measures be adopted.
The doctor had been assaulted by the police officer, who alleged that medical negligence had led to the death of his mother, who was COVID-positive. However, according to the doctors, there was no room for such allegations because the patient had been brought dead to the hospital.
The KGMOA said that health workers, who had been relentlessly working ever since the pandemic began, were totally demoralised over such incidents.
Meanwhile, in a statement here, Health Minister Veena George said that violence against hospitals and health workers was totally unacceptable and that the government would never defend anyone perpetrating violence on doctors.
She promised that strong action would be taken against the accused and that all steps would be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association, expressing solidarity with the KGMOA, pointed out that several incidents of assault against doctors and hospitals had been reported recently in the State.
