Foreign medical graduates working as house surgeons at General Hospital, Ernakulam, have opposed their deployment as medical officers as part of the VIP duty system in which they are asked to accompany the entourage of dignitaries visiting the State, in ambulances to ensure emergency medical care.
In a letter to the District Medical Officer (DMO), they termed the posting as “unauthorised” and not prescribed by the National Medical Council.
“As house surgeons, we are treated as foreign medical graduate students not having satisfactory clinical exposure. We are supposed to treat patients only under the supervision of consultant doctors as we do not have permanent registration with the Kerala State Medical Council. But we are named and posted as doctors of General Hospital for VIP duty,” it said.
The house surgeons pointed out that VIP duty was not prescribed under the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Rules.
The Ernakulam wing of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association had also warned the authorities against the deployment of house surgeons as medical officers for VIP duty. The appointment of house surgeons, who have not received permanent registration, for such duty will invite trouble. In an emergency situation, house surgeons may not be able to act accordingly. They are also worried about the VIP duty, the association said in a communication.
The association pointed out that government doctors had started boycotting VIP duty in view of the absence of even basic facilities for the accompanying medical team. They are forced to be on the road for hours waiting for the arrival and departure of VIPs. There have been instances where the team was denied even food and adequate rest, it said. The DMO and the General Hospital superintendent were not available for comments.
