Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) has protested against the government decision to extend the OP (Outpatient) hours of doctors in government hospitals. The association stated that increasing OP hours instead of appointing more doctors in proportion to the growing number of patients is unacceptable and demanded that the order be withdrawn immediately.
The government had issued an order on Tuesday extending the OP hours for specialist doctors in government hospitals from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Earlier, the OP hours were until 1 p.m.
KGMOA said the major challenge faced by government hospitals at present is the shortage of doctors and supporting staff. Instead of increasing the working hours of doctors, the government should address the issue by appointing more medical professionals to reduce the workload and patient rush in hospitals, the association added.
