IMA Kerala to observe "solidarity day" tomorrow

: The Kerala chapter of the Indian Medical Association will observe "solidarity day" tomorrow to express concern over a court ruling, sentencing a group of doctors, nurses and a nursing assistant to one year imprisonment in connection with the death of a women following a laparoscopic surgery in Kollam district.
Office bearers of the IMA said the "solidarity day" would be observed to express their unity with the medical fraternity and highlight various hardships faced by doctors while executing their duties.
"The court verdict to punish the doctors and other medical staff was quite shocking and unfortunate. As a responsible organisation, we cannot go for an open strike because it's a court verdict," IMA state secretary AV Jayakrishnan told PTI.

"So we have decided to observe 'solidarity day' to express our anxieties over the issue and commitment to our profession," he said.
A fast-track court had yesterday sentenced three doctors and equal number of nurses and a nursing assistant of a private hospital in Punalur of Kollam district to one year of imprisonment in a case registered in 2006.
Prosecution case was that Mini Philip (31) underwent a laparoscopic surgery at the private hospital in Punalur on September 25 2006. Though she was shifted to another hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, she died the next day following a medical complication.

Additional Session Court Judge S Santhoshkumar found the accused charged under IPC section 304 (a) (causing death by negligence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender).

However, Jayakrishnan pointed to a Supreme Court ruling, stating that Sec 304 should not be imposed on doctors.
As part of the 'solidarity day', meetings and fasts would be organised in various district centres, he said, adding doctors would wear special badges during the protest.