The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) has come out strongly against the suspension of two doctors from the Palakkad District Hospital, calling the move "unjust" and accusing the government of using health workers as scapegoats to deflect public anger.
The Health Department suspended Junior Resident Dr Mustafa and Junior Consultant Dr Sarfaraz following preliminary findings of lapses in the treatment of a nine-year-old girl, which allegedly led to the amputation of her hand. The suspension was issued pending further inquiry and possible disciplinary action.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the KGMOA termed the action "arbitrary" and demanded that the government immediately revoke the suspensions. The association argued that the incident involved a rare medical complication and that there was no evidence of negligence or protocol violation on the part of the doctors.“The attempt to interpret a rare complication as treatment failure and scapegoat doctors is completely unacceptable,” the statement read.