Kerala - Kochi   

Health institutions closing down

KOCHI: Health-care institutions in the State are becoming dysfunctional as the doctors who were suspended from service in at least seven institutions were the only doctors on call there.

It has also created a crisis situation in certain districts — there is no surgeon in the entire district of Palakkad and no orthopaedic surgeon in Kannur.

A patient at government hospital in Palakkad now has to travel either to Thrissur or Coimbatore to get an emergency surgery done, said Sunny P. Orathel, president of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA).

Of course, there are private hospitals, but a surgery that would cost a negligible sum at a government institution would cost a minimum of Rs. 5,000-6,000 in a private hospital.

The seven primary health centres that are no longer operating are in Vallikode, Elanthur, Chenirkara and Kottanad in Pathanamthitta district; Kalloorkadu and Puthenvelikkara in Ernakulam and Chembur in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to Dr. Orathel, “we are not paralysing the services. We have only refused to take up VIP services and other duties outside the hospital. Our response to the suspension is rather cool because our demands are genuine.

“We are fighting for the people because only if the Government pays a good salary, more doctors will join the Health Service. There are about 700 vacancies in the Health Service.

“We are ready to face any action, even dismissal, ESMA or arrest.

“About 99 per cent of the doctors in the Services are of the same mindset. If the Government does not want the Health Services to work properly, it will tell on the Government’s functioning.”

Going by the suspensions and the non-working condition of hospitals, by the end of Sabarimala season, the Health Services will be closed down, said the former president of KGMOA Junaid Rahman.

Both the Public Health Centres that have become dysfunctional in Ernakulam have in-patient service facility too.

An orthopaedic surgeon from Perumbavur and a surgeon from the District General Hospital have also been suspended.

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