Kochi: The post-graduate students and house surgeons of Ernakulam Government Medical College held a one-day strike on Friday in protest against the government's decision to suspend Dr. Bino Jose in connection with the death of a second year medical student of the college. The Post Graduate Association called for the immediate revocation of the order and said that the doctor could not be held responsible for the unfortunate incident.
The death of Shamna Thasneem, the second year MBBS student, was due to the “consequence of inadequate hospital facilities at various levels and that fact was proven later in the investigation that followed the event”, Dr. Ashraf B.K., president and Dr Abhishek Nair, secretary of the Association, said in a statement.
It was a known fact that non-availability of emergency medications in time and the delay that occurred in shifting the patient to ICU from pay ward caused this unfortunate event, they said. The association alleged that the government had initiated disciplinary action against the doctors by hiding all these facts. The Association has also pointed out that many departments in the medical college did not have the necessary faculty for PG training.
Demanding the immediate revocation of the suspension order, the Association has urged the government and the hospital authorities to take urgent steps to improve the basic facilities in the hospital. The Association threatened to intensify the agitation if the government and authorities failed to fulfill their demands.
