KOCHI: The state branch of IMA and doctors aligned to it will join the one day strike of the doctors across the country on Monday along with a few nurses.
President of IMA state branch, Dr M E Sugathan said that despite the appeal of the Health Minister K K Shylaja to rescind from the proposed strike, the doctors in the state will participate in it since they felt that the issue is of paramount importance to the profession and the professionals.
“We are defenceless inside a hospital. We need workplace security. Several times we come under the attack of goons who masquerade as relatives of patients. The situation across the country is the same in this regard,” said Dr Sugathan.
He said that 19 states including Kerala have Hospital Protection Acts which insulate doctors in this regard. It was enacted in Kerala in 2012. “However we demand a Central Act and want the hospitals to be declared special protection zones,” said Dr Sugathan.
Meanwhile the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) Kerala chapter also declared its intention to join Monday's strike by doctors, demanding better safety for all medical professionals including nurses and enactment of a Central Act to protect health professionals from such attacks.
