K'taka govt to use hi-tech mechanism to curb attacks on docs

In order to check attacks on doctors in government hospitals, the Karnataka government will deploy hi-tech mechanism, including artificial intelligence, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said on Tuesday. "Whatever may be the challenges, technology will be used. walkie-talkie, facial recognition cameras, artificial intelligence or analytics", he told reporters here.

He was replying to queries on the ongoing strike by a section of government doctors here protesting recent assault on one of their colleagues at an eye hospital by a few alleged activists of a pro-Kannada outfit over 'drug reaction' in some patients who underwent cataract surgeries in July this year.

The activists allegedly barged into the government Minto Eye Hospital and assaulted a doctor. Protesting this, the junior doctors at the hospital have been on the strike since Friday. Doctors in two other government hospitals also joined the protest later, causing disruption in patient services.

"Even in the surrounding areas, if people barge in, we will get alerts, so that the internal security team can be mobilised, police and the Reserved Police can be mobilised," Narayan, who holds the Higher Education and Medical Education portfolios, said.

Appealing to the doctors to end the strike, Narayan said: "We fully understand the challenges in which doctors are working. Understanding this, we brought a law in 2009 to give protection to the doctors.