Kerala doctors resist food testing task for VVIP visits

Kochi, Jul 8 (PTI) An order from Kerala's health department assigning three doctors to test food for Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar during his recent visit has sparked anger, with the doctors saying they are not trained for the job and may protest.

One of the doctors had to accompany food safety officers, police, and health officials to the catering firm and guest houses where the Vice President stayed.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) said it is planning to submit a representation on the matter, seeking an explanation as to how doctors can be deputed as food testing officers when they have no expertise in the field. The association said that if the issue is not resolved, it may stage a protest against the move.

"We got an order deputing three doctors—Ernakulam General Hospital RMO, a doctor from Kodanad Family Health Centre, and one doctor from Aluva District Hospital—as food testing officers for the Vice President when he visited the district a day ago. We do not know how we could be deputed as a food testing officer as we do not have any qualification to do so," Dr T Sudhakar, Ernakulam district president of KGMOA, told PTI.

He said that although the security team had verbally claimed there is a rule to depute doctors as food testing officers for the President, Prime Minister, and Vice President, no such directive exists in the Blue Book.

With a severe shortage of doctors already affecting the government sector, such moves could place additional strain on medical staff, KGMOA sources said.

Sources added that one doctor had to accompany the team as per the order, as they were informed that the Food Safety team would collect the samples, but the certification had to be done by the doctors.

"We were asked to certify the findings of the Food and Safety team after testing and were told that only the findings would be accepted by the VP's security team," Sudhakar said.

As per existing norms, testing food samples is carried out by the Food Safety Department, as they are trained for the task.

Doctors do not have any professional qualification to test food samples or to certify them as safe, sources said. PTI KPK TGB SSK