Thiruvananthapuram, 10 March (H.S.):The Kerala Health Department has issued a new order extending the outpatient (OP) consultation hours of doctors in government hospitals as part of a broader effort to improve efficiency and streamline hospital services. The move, however, has drawn criticism from doctors’ organisations, which have demanded that the government withdraw the decision.

According to the order issued by the Health Department, specialist doctors in government hospitals will now attend to patients in the OP section from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., extending the existing OP hours by one hour. Earlier, specialist consultations typically concluded at 1 p.m. The government said the revision is part of a duty restructuring initiative aimed at improving patient care and ensuring better utilisation of medical personnel in public hospitals.

The directive also redefines the duties and responsibilities of doctors across multiple categories in the government healthcare system. These include Superintendents, Resident Medical Officers (RMOs), Casualty Medical Officers, Assistant Surgeons, Chief Consultants, Junior Consultants, Consultants, Medical Officers, and other speciality doctors. The government hopes that clearly redefining roles will help streamline hospital administration and improve the delivery of medical services.

Another key provision in the order requires Medical Officers to reside within an eight-kilometre radius of the hospital on their duty days. The directive states that hospital vehicles will be made available to facilitate official travel when required. Officials believe that ensuring doctors remain within close proximity to the hospital will help improve emergency response and patient care, particularly in government medical facilities that handle large patient volumes.

However, the decision to extend OP hours has triggered strong opposition from doctors’ organisations. The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) criticised the move, stating that extending working hours cannot be seen as a sustainable solution to address staff shortages or increasing patient loads in government hospitals.

The association argued that the government should focus on appointing more doctors and strengthening healthcare infrastructure rather than lengthening the working hours of existing staff.

Similarly, the Kerala Government Specialist Doctors’ Association has also demanded that the order increasing OP hours be withdrawn. The organisation said that increasing workload without addressing manpower shortages could adversely affect both doctors and the quality of patient care.

With protests emerging from medical bodies, the Health Department may soon face pressure to review the controversial directive even as it seeks to improve efficiency in the state’s public healthcare system.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman