Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Doctors stage hunger strike

— Photo: S. Gopakumar

sad state: The outpatient clinic at the General Hospital was crowded on Saturday as doctors staged a hunger strike in front of the Secretariat.

Thiruvananthapuram: The government doctors staged a mass hunger strike in front of the Secretariat on Saturday to protest against the government’s failure to revise the pay scales of junior doctors in Health Services, despite the recommendations of a Government-appointed committee which studied the issue.

Over 800 doctors from across the State, including all district and State office-bearers of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association, took part in the 12-hour hunger strike. The hunger strike was inaugurated by V.C. Velayudhan Pillai, the past national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

A large number of doctors from the private sector and the Government Medical College Hospital also turned up to express solidarity with the striking Government doctors. Leaders of other doctors’ organisations in the State including the IMA, Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association, Kerala Government Insurance Medical Officers’ Association, Kerala Government Dental Surgeons’ Association and the Qualified Medical Practitioners’ Association, who were present in front of the Secretariat, also extended their support to the doctors’ agitation.

They demanded that the government take the initiative to settle the strike by accepting the just demands of the doctors. They also said they would not take up any duties that the doctors in the Health Services were boycotting, including the Sabarimala duty. They condemned the Government’s ‘lack of commitment towards the improvement of public health sector.’

Even though there was a heavy turn out of doctors in front of the Secretariat, no medical services in hospitals were disrupted on Saturday. KGMOA leaders pointed out that the out patient clinics might have been crowded in hospitals as many doctors were taking part in the hunger strike but all hospitals functioned as usual.

The Indian Medical Association has said it viewed the current strike by Government doctors as a fight for the protection of the public health sector.

It said the demands put forth by government doctors were quite just and the IMA would join the agitation if the government did not settle the issues. The IMA leadership is meeting on Sunday to discuss the strike.

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