Indian Medical Association (IMA) on August 22 wrote to the Karnataka Chief Minister expressing displeasure over the target-oriented approach of government officials which allegedly led to a government doctor's suicide in Mysore.

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"What happened to Dr SR Nagendra, Taluk Government Medical Officer of Nanjanguda, Mysore district, Karnataka is unfortunate. He committed suicide allegedly due to the target-oriented approach of officials. There are reasons to believe that the administration ignored the stressful situation under which he was working. A senior medical person would have understood the nuances and perhaps handled the situation with diligence and understanding," IMA said in the letter to CM.

"Throughout the country lack of sensitivity (towards providing better conditions to the medical fraternity) is being reported. In general, there has been a retreat of democratic institutions and unbridled exercise of power without restraint. The medical profession does not work on targets and deadlines. These are typical office procedures," it added.

IMA said doctors in Karnataka will hold a two-day black badge protest over this incident. "Doctors in Karnataka are extremely disturbed over the incident which is only the tip of the iceberg. Owing to the constraints of the epidemic, IMA has channelised the anger of the medical profession into two days of black badge protest and a night of candlelight vigil. It should be appreciated that the medical profession is in charge of the entire situation be it the government sector or private sector," IMA said. "We sincerely hope that the response to what happened in Mysore district will be adequate to render justice and more appropriately initiate reforms to restructure," it added.