THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Medical Association will go on a nationwide strike on Friday against the central government's decision to allow post-graduate Ayurvedic doctors to perform surgeries. The strike will be held from 6 am to 6 pm. Emergency department, labour room, emergency surgeries and COVID treatment units have been excluded from strike. The IMA informed that doctors at private hospitals as well as teachers at medical colleges will go on strike on Friday.

Secretary Dr P Gopakumar said that he OP would come to a complete standstill and the pre-arranged surgeries would be cancelled. Kerala Govt. Medical Officers' Association, Private College Teachers' Association and private hospital doctors will also join the strike. Ahead of the strike, doctors staged protests in about 300 centres on Wednesday.