Kochi | The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the state government to ensure that the OPD and other essential healthcare services are not disrupted in the medical colleges run by it.

A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M issued the direction, saying that medical services are an essential service and the government needs to take steps to ensure they continue smoothly and uninterrupted.

With the observation and directions, the court disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) by advocate Ajeesh Kalathil Gopi against the strike that was being held by the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA) alleging apathy on the part of the state government in resolving issues related to their service conditions and pay anomalies.

During the hearing, the government claimed that the KGMCTA has called off its strike, but Gopi contended that it was only postponed.

He also told the court that medical services are an essential service and therefore, the doctors cannot hold people to ransom by going on strike.

In his plea, he had claimed that the KGMCTA strike has caused substantial disruption to essential public healthcare services in medical colleges across the state.

He had also sought a court directive to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of out-patient departments (OPDs) and all essential healthcare services in government medical colleges across the state.

The petition has further sought a direction to the state government to take immediate and effective measures, including invocation of statutory powers under the Kerala Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1994, if necessary, to ensure that essential healthcare services are not disrupted