KGMOA threatens agitation if hospital safety is not improved

The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA), expressing deep concern over the deteriorating safety situation and continuing security lapses in government hospitals, has warned the government that if positive steps are not adopted within a reasonable time to improve the security in hospitals, all government doctors will be going into a full-fledged agitation in phases.

The KGMOA demanded the immediate introduction of a triage system in all casualty units in public hospitals and two Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) per shift in all casualty units. It demanded that the security of major hospitals be handed over to the State industrial security force and that police aid posts be established in all hospitals with casualty units.

It said these demands had to be met within a reasonable time. As the first phase, from November 1, the association would launch a State-wide non-cooperation movement, with doctors abstaining from all non-patient care duties. The agitation would be intensified if the demands raised by the KGMOA continued to be ignored by the government, it said.

Doctors also demanded that ex-servicemen be appointed as security staff and CCTV surveillance set up in all hospitals, for which funds should be released in a timely manner. The KGMOA demanded that the doctor-patient ratio for each service cadre be defined.

It also demanded that the treatment expenses of Vipin, the doctor grievously injured in the attack by a patient’s family member, be borne by the government.

It said it was deeply disappointing that the existing measures had failed to ensure a safe workplace for doctors and other health-care staff and that despite repeated instances of violence in hospitals, the doctors’ long-standing demand to declare all hospitals as high-security zones had been ignored by the government.

Following the gruesome murder of the young Vandana Das, while on duty, many promises were made to safeguard doctors. However, apart from the enactment of a strengthened Hospital Protection Act and the revision of protocols for the medical examination of persons in police custody, nothing had been done towards improving workplace safety.

The KGMOA said it was the government’s duty to ensure safe and fearless work environment in all public hospitals, so that the public health system did not collapse