Karnataka: Doctors and medical staff in Shivamogga stage protest march

The doctors and medical staff in Shivamogga, Karnataka staged a protest march on Friday, November 9, against the alleged attack on a doctor of Minto Eye hospital by members of pro-Kannada organisation Karnataka Rakshana Vedike on 31st October. The doctors serving in private hospitals also extended support to a one-day strike in the protest.

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The doctors staged a protest on the premises of the deputy commissioner's office under the aegis of the Indian Medical Association Shivamogga chapter and condemned the attack. They also demanded the government to initiate disciplinary action against those who attacked doctors in Bengaluru. They also urged the government to take all possible steps to prevent such incidents in the future. 

According to the sources, many outpatient departments in private hospitals functioned from 11.30 am on Friday despite the protest. OPDs were opened from 11:30 am in the district. More than 350 private medical establishments are there in the district and around 92 are in Shivamogga city alone. Though OPDs remained open, the flow of outpatients to the hospitals was less due to the one-day strike call given by IMA.

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The incident

The protest comes five days after a woman doctor was allegedly assaulted inside a hospital. Doctors at the Minto Hospital have been protesting for four days and demanding action against the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike group. The regional group also protested against the doctors and allegedly blamed them for carelessness in treating patients. According to the doctors, the activists from the Kannada group entered the OPD of the hospital and assaulted a doctor. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has refused to admit this allegation.

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