Government orders arrest of striking doctors

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police arrested and removed doctors of the General Hospital here who launched a flash strike and picketted the office of the Director of Health Services here over suspension of a doctor for alleged negligence leading to death of a patient, .

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after a meeting of the Cabinet that the government had directed the arrest of the doctors after Cabinet discussed the issue.The government would deal with the strike stronly.

It was painful that the camera person of Mathrubhumi News Rejimon had died of alleged negligence by a doctor. When such as death occurred, it was necessary to conduct proper enquiry into the complaint from relatives and bring out the truth. Suspension was not even a punishment but a procedure to facilitate enquiry.

Mr. Chandy said that protest of the doctors against an enquiry was not justified. People had a right to know what had happened at the Hospital.

The sudden strike by the doctors had caused hardships to more than 600 out patients who had turned up for consultation today. Of about 120 doctors were to be on duty today, only a handful had reported for work.