The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) has accused the district collector Geromic George of abusing his position.
“It is highly objectionable that the collector abused his power by demanding treatment at home when patients were waiting to see the doctor. We will be forced to start protests if the doctors are treated this way,” said a statement from the association. It has warned of a strike if such incidents are repeated.
When district collectors are given preference in all hospitals, including medical colleges, there is strong dissent against doctors being treated like domestic workers by civil servants.
The collector has refused to respond to the issue.
Patients kept waiting
The collector had demanded treatment for nail fungal infection at home on May 4. As a result, a duty doctor was sent to his residence when over 200 patients were waiting in the outpatient clinic at the General Hospital.
The doctor from the general surgery department had to leave his OP duties midway and go to the collector’s residence, where he was made to wait another 30 minutes before tending to the collector.
According to the doctors, the demand came through the district medical officer (DMO), who initially did not heed the demand. They alleged that the DMO was intimidated when the demand came for the second time from the collector.
This is not the first time George has summoned doctors to his house. There was a similar complaint where he called for a doctor from the Peroorkada hospital three months ago.
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