Kochi, Sunday 21 February 2010: Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA) protested against the suspension of its state president Dr Varghese Thomas terming the move of the State Government as an ‘act of vengeance.’ KGMCTA’s future course of action will be decided at the association’s central working committee to be held today.

“The association strongly protests the move of the State Government to suspend the association’s state president for providing treatment to a patient when it has done nothing against the likes of the Joint DEO whose private practice has been exposed by the visual media,” KGMCTA general secretary Dr Nasruddin Ahmed said in a release.

“The ban on private practice has caused innumerable difficulties especially for the poor and the middle income groups,” the general secretary said. “A situation has been created where a number of doctors are forced to offer treatment because of the repeated requests of patients. Those who cannot bear the high costs of private treatment are the ones who approach medical college doctors,” the release said.