THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi has warned of strong action if in-patient treatment facility is denied to any poor patient in the name of the doctors' strike.

She said here on Monday that the Director of Health Services has been directed to ensure that the in-patient treatment facility was not affected in any manner.

The Minister stated that the Government had held discussions with the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) on the doctors' grievances on the pay revision over which the medical officers of the health services were on an agitation for the last few months.

Detailed discussions were held in the presence of the Health and Finance Ministers on July 5. It was pointed out at that meeting that the doctors' pay scales was higher than equal posts and that it had been retained in the revised pay scales also taking into consideration their workload and other factors. In spite of this, the understanding reached at the meeting was to refer the anomalies to a committee and take a decision through discussions on allowances and other issues.

The KGMOA on its part agreed to see that the patients were not put to difficulty by the agitation.

But according to reports received by the Government, some doctors were refusing to admit patients during the last few days. It was a serious situation.

The Government's stand was sympathetic towards the reasonable demands of the doctors. That was why it did not take any action against their non-cooperation agitation. The Government proposed to continue the same stand and redress the doctors' grievances through talks.

But if in-patient treatment facility was denied to poor patients, the Government would take strong action, the Minister warned.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail