THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The outpatient services in hospitals, especially the government- run ones, were affected as allopathy doctors participated in the national strike on Friday against the central government’s decision to allow postgraduate ayurveda doctors to conduct surgery.
The dawn-to-dusk strike caused major inconvenience to patients who turned up at hospitals without knowing about the stir. However, the boycott did not affect Covid-19 treatment, emergency services and surgeries, labour room, in-patient care and ICU care, though the doctors, who attended to these cases wore black badges as a mark of protest.
Allopathy doctors affiliated to various organisations, including the Indian Medical Association, staged a protest outside the Raj Bhavan demanding that the Centre reconsider its decision. P T Zacharias, president, IMA Kerala, said the government decision to encourage ‘mixopathy’ will result in the lives of poor patients being compromised. It should be seen as a ploy to destroy modern medicine in the country by 2030, he said.
According to the IMA, “The Central Council of Indian Medicine notification allowing surgeries by ayurveda practitioners and the formation of four committees by NITI Aayog for the integration of all systems of medicine will lead to unscientific mixing of various methods of treatment (mixopathy)”. Binoy S, president, Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA), said the the government decision will create a group of poorly skilled surgeons.
Besides, it needs to be seen how people without training in anaesthesia, blood bank, antibiotics and other medicines can conduct surgery. KGMCTA, Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association and Kerala Government Insurance Medical Officers’ Association also took part in the protest.