Medical PG students in Kozhikode to launch protest against e-Sanjeevani duty

Demand for senior faculty members to be present during tele-consultation

Medical postgraduate students at Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, are planning to join hands with medical teachers’ organisations to protest against the duty list prepared for e-Sanjeevani, the tele-consultation project launched by the Health Department for people who cannot reach the hospital due to the pandemic. Out-patient (OP) services at the MCH are normally handled by senior doctors. e-Sanjeevani is to help people access OP services without coming to the institution. The order issued by the Director of Medical Education had reportedly specified that medical college doctors who could not be on COVID-19 duty due to health reasons or others could be assigned the tele-consultation duty. Functionaries of the Calicut chapter of the Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA), however, said the hospital authorities had deputed postgraduate students for the duty. When the association objected to the move and insisted that senior faculty members be present along with them during the consultation, the duty lists for some departments were changed.