Kerala govt medical college doctors to boycott OP, classroom today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) has announced that its ongoing protest will continue, with doctors in government medical colleges deciding to boycott outpatient (OP) services on October 28. The organisation stated that despite months of demonstrations and repeated representations, the government has not initiated any meaningful steps to address their concerns. According to KGMCTA, doctors in medical colleges are currently staging a relay OP boycott. The association pointed out that even after the last OP boycott held on October 20, the government has not come forward for discussions or taken any steps to resolve the issues. The statement said that medical college doctors would not attend OP duties on October 28, November 5, November 13, November 21, and November 29 as part of the ongoing agitation. It added that theory classes for medical students would also be suspended on these days. KGMCTA clarified that essential and emergency services would not be affected by the protest. Casualty, labour rooms and intensive care units will continue to function without any disruption, the association stated. The association said it was forced to take this step after years of peaceful protests and written submissions failed to yield any response from the government. We appeal to the public to avoid visiting OP departments on the days of the strike, the statement said.