Doctors’ strike disrupts OP services at Kozhikode MCH

Academic works and outpatient (OP) department services continued to get disrupted at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, on Wednesday as the ongoing indefinite strike by the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA) entered the third day.

The situation is expected to get worse now as the striking doctors have declared to boycott surgeries other than emergency procedures from Thursday. The Kerala Medical Post Graduates Association (KMPGA) too has announced a token strike on the day.

Most senior doctors were conspicuous by their absence in the OP department on Wednesday. Postgraduate students and house surgeons were deployed to serve the patients. A release from KMPGA said the ongoing strike by teachers had significantly increased the clinical burden on resident doctors, with OP and in-patient care being managed almost solely by them.

Additionally, regular academic sessions remain suspended, leading to loss of training opportunities. This situation placed added workload, responsibility, and stress on resident doctors, ultimately affecting both medical education and quality of patient care, KMPGA functionaries said.

They also raised issues such as stipend hike for PG students, prevention of appointment of non-medical candidates to the post of Assistant Professor under the Directorate of Medical Education through the Kerala Public Service Commission, and immediate clarification and resolution of the ongoing dilemma in Senior Resident appointments.