Kerala : Transfer of 21 SRs hits GMC Kozhikode

Kozhikode: Following the orders of the health ministry, 24 senior resident doctors have been transferred from Government Medical College, Kozhikode to Manjeri Medical College leading to a state of unrest. The cause of the emotional upsurge being the shift happening without the consent of the Government Medical College hospital authorities. The transferred doctors are to join duty from Wednesday.

The Government Medical College authorities believe that this mass exodus is likely to have a strong impact on the day to day functioning of the hospital which sees a footfall from six north Malabar districts. With the onset of monsoon and the sudden increase in communicable diseases in northern Kerala, a detrimental situation with shortage of doctors at the college hospital is going to develop in all likelihood.

According to Dr Vishnu Thampan, President of Calicut Chapter of Kerala Medical Postgraduate Association the transfers will hit hospital functioning in the medical college, which is already battling with staff shortage.

As reported by hospital functionaries, the departments most likely to feel the impact of these transfers would be: general surgery, general medicine, radiology, ENT, dermatology, obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatrics of Kozhikode medical college hospital and Institute of Maternity and Child Health.

There is a general feeling that work in the haematology department and in the area of infectious diseases is going to suffer a set back in the face of the acute doctor shortage.

A senior resident doctor of general medicine, Dr M. V. Jabir Sayed reacting to this sudden doctor shortage said, "It's the first time that the DME carried out the transfer without considering the need of the hospitals at the medical college campus. We will wait till August 10 to check if government revokes its order or not and a decision on future course of action will be decided on the basis of reply from the health minister.''

The Principal of the Government Medical College, Dr V P Sasidharan reacting to the situation said, "Apart from the doctors, another six students will also leave as they got admission to DM courses. The function of the medical college will be affected by the transfer.''

He also mentioned having apprised the Director, Medical College, Thalassery of the situation.

Dr V P Sasidharan said, "Apart from the doctors, another six students will also leave as they got admission to DM courses. The function of the medical college will be affected by the transfer,'' he added.

Of the 34 doctors transferred to Manjeri Medical College by the Directorate of Medical Education, 24 are from the Kozhikode Medical College and remaining from the colleges of Kottayam and Thrissur.