Doctors boycott OP as panchayat president beats up duty doctor in Sasthamkotta hospital

Kollam: The doctors of Sasthamkotta taluk hospital here boycotted the Out Patient (OP) wing in protest over the incident in which a panchayat president manhandled a duty doctor. The incident took place on Thursday night. Sooranad North panchayat president Sreekumar and others allegedly beat up a duty doctor in the hospital. A non-bailable case was booked against them in connection with this.

Panchayat president Sreekumar reached the hospital with the dead body of a woman who died after falling into a well in the nearby ward. He asked the doctor to confirm death. But the doctor was busy plastering injuries of another patient and was late to attend to the case.

When the doctor told the president that ECG report is required to confirm death, they were provoked and started showering abuse on the doctor. As the hospital staff tried to capture video of the incident, they also manhandled them.

Non-bailable offence was charged against the panchayat president on the basis of the complaint filed by the doctor. According to the government order, those who beat doctors on duty should be arrested. So, panchayat president and others will be arrested.

Meanwhile, the president and others also filed complaint against the doctor alleging they were beaten up by him and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The protest boycotting OP wing is organized by the Kerala Government Medical Officer's Association (KGMOA). They have decided to continue the protest till the accused are arrested.