Doctors go on strike in Alappuzha

KOTTAYAM: Government doctors in Alappuzha kept away from work on Tuesday protesting against the police inaction on the assault on a doctor by CPM workers last month.
Around 300 doctors took part in the protest. The striking doctors ensured that emergency services like gynaecology and accident trauma wings continued to function. Doctors in primary health centres to major government hospitals kept away from OP duty, swab collection and vaccinations drives.The mass leave comes after Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) called for intensifying the protest over the police inaction.
Meanwhile, a bystander at Kayamkulam taluk hospital verbally abused a duty doctor and made an attempt to manhandle him. No complaints have been registered with the police.
Dr Shyam Prasad, district President of KGMOA, termed the strike a token protest and added that the association will plan further action based on the high court’s decision on the anticipatory bail plea of the two accused persons who have been absconding according to police’s claim. If the court dismisses their plea, the police will have to arrest them, he said. The doctors have also demanded the formulation of uniformed guidelines for vaccination drive.
The incident that lead to the case was on July 24 afternoon. The medical officer of Kainakary panchayath Dr Sharath Chandra Bose was assaulted by a group of CPM men lead by the panchayath president M C Prasad. Though the cops charged case against three, they arrested only one and said that the other two are absconding. However, the doctor who was assaulted said that the other two including the panchayath president are moving freely in the panchayath.