Urban centres unaffected by doctors' protest

Leave taken by the doctors will be considered unauthorised

Several doctors and medical officers of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, under the aegis of Karnataka State Government Medical Officers Association (KSGMOA), boycotted work to submit their resignations to the government, on Monday. 

While representatives of KSGMOA claimed that 240 persons have submitted their resignation, District Health Officer (DHO) said that only 60-70 per cent of doctors and medical officers of the district boycotted work during the day. DHO Dr K Puttaswamy said that only 82 doctors and medical officers from the district had submitted their resignation in Bangalore, during the day.

Inconvenience

The protest however, caused inconveniences in some parts of the district, while Mysore city and taluk centres remained largely unaffected by the boycott.  

Speaking to Deccan Herald, president of Mysore district unit of KSGMOA, Dr Shivshankar said that a majority of the doctors under KSGMOA have submitted their resignations in the district, while a few others would resign on Tuesday. The doctors, will report to work from Tuesday, he added.

“If the demands of the organisation are not met within the mandatory notice period of one month after submission of the resignation, the doctors will resign from service,” he said.

Unauthorised leave

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Dr Puttaswamy said that the leave taken by doctors to participate in the protest will be considered as unauthorised leave. “The department will withhold the salaries of the day, of doctors who boycotted work,” he said.

Responding to questions on the inconvenience caused to patients, he said that while there were a few problems, the department had ensured doctors at major Primary Healthcare Centres. “Moreover, not all the doctors and medical officers have attended the protest. There were skeletal staff operating in all PHCs of the district,” he said. 

He said that a few Apart from these, ambulances were deputed at all Taluk Health Centres, for emergencies, he added.  

On whether disciplinary action will be taken against the protesters, he said that the State government would take a call on the matter. A majority of doctors at 29 PHCs in Mysore city, boycotted work during the day. 

Districts

While alternative arrangements were made at Hassan, Chamarajanagar and Mandya district centres, residents of rural parts of the districts suffered due to the protest.

Patients were seen approaching private hospitals, owing to the shortage of adequate staff at PHCs. 

According to DHOs of respective districts, alternative arrangements were made by deputing personnel from various medical colleges in the region.