Travel News, August, 2007

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Doctors on leave as Kerala grapples with Chikungunya
by Juhan Samuel

          Kottayam: Kerala is facing shortage of medical staff at a crucial time when it is in the grip spreading Chikungunya. Hundreds of doctors employed at state-run hospitals have probably joined either private hospitals or shifted abroad without proper intimation to the concerned authorities. On Tuesday last, the State's health department advertised in newspapers asking 140 absentee doctors to return to work or face dismissal following their unauthorised absence from duty. The action has been taken after their failure to join service despite several notices to them, especially when the State has been facing the outbreak of Chikungunya and other epidemics in recent times. According to the State's health department, over 500 doctors have been absent from work for a long duration.

          The shortage of doctors in State-run hospitals and primary medical centres has adversely affected the treatment and surveillance against Chikungunya, leading to the death of over 700 people in the State since the outbreak last year. Sajit Lal, President of Kerala Junior Doctors Forum, said: "Actually, at the time of the spread of Chikungunya in Kerala, the main factor that increased the spread of this disease was the shortage of doctors in Kerala, especially, in the government sector." The government has taken help of doctors from the Armed Forces and some private hospitals to attend to the increasing number of patients here. Hospitals in the five districts, namely Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Aalapuzha, Kottayam and Idukki, have a large number of Chikungunya patients. Some medical officials, meanwhile, blame the government for shortage of doctors, saying that over a period of time, posts have been lying vacant in state-run hospitals, as medical graduates prefer to take up employment in private hospitals for high salaries and better perks to meagre wages in government hospitals. Benchmin George, District Medical Officer of the worst-affected Kottayam District, said: "We are appointing doctors in different parts of the district because of the NRHM (National Rural Health Mission). Most of the junior doctors are unwilling to join the Health Department due to the terms and conditions about doctors' salary. Government should think about making some changes about the salary and existing system."

          The doctors demand that they need proper motivation to work in Kerala hospitals. "Doctors are compelled to leave the State or join private sector mainly due to disappointing salaries and absence of basic infrastructure. It is too much to expect from any medical practitioner to not take up a lucrative offer having spent so much on expensive medical studies," said Dr. Subir Krishnan, working in Bangalore. Chikungunya fever was first reported in Kerala in 2006 with a total 70,731 suspected cases. In 2007, the number of suspected Chikungunya patients stood at 21,590. Chikungunya is a rare form of viral fever spread by mosquito bites. The symptoms include high ever, headache and crippling joint pains which can be debilitating. Though the fever lasts for a few days, acute joint pain, intense headache lasts for several days, even weeks.
- August 26,  2007