Doctors in several hospitals across multiple Indian states on Monday went on an indefinite strike, halting all non-urgent elective services to demand a fair investigation into the rape and murder of a postgraduate resident doctor on duty at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
This action comes after the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association of India (FORDA) on Sunday requested all resident doctors’ associations (RDAs) and state medical associations to support the strike by halting elective services, demanding justice for the deceased doctor and a mandated security protocol for healthcare workers.
Elective services are non-urgent and not medically necessary. These procedures are usually scheduled in advance and differ from urgent or emergency surgeries requiring immediate attention due to life-threatening conditions.
Protests by doctors demanding justice and better workplace security began in Kolkata and eventually spread to other parts of the country.
The brutalised body of a 31-year-old resident doctor, who was attacked in the seminar hall of R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata where she went to rest at night after a 36-hour duty, was found on Friday morning. She had multiple injuries, including a broken neck bone, and an autopsy confirmed sexual assault and homicide.
On Saturday, police arrested Sanjay Roy, a volunteer at the hospital, in connection with the attack.
FORDA is demanding a speedy trial, an inquiry to identify factors that made the crime possible, and urgent measures to improve the safety of doctors on duty in hospitals.
FORDA’s call has gained support from all major RDAs, with ten government hospitals in New Delhi beginning an indefinite strike in response to FORDA’s call, halting all elective services.
These include Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, IHBAS, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College, and National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases Hospital, which are participating in the strike from 9 a.m., according to a statement by the RDA.
Apart from these ten hospitals, resident doctors of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru are also striking, even as hospital services in West Bengal continue to be disrupted by protests for a fourth straight day, with healthcare providers demanding an impartial investigation and justice for the victim.
The RDA of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi also joined FORDA in its nationwide strike on Monday morning, suspending all elective and non-essential services, including elective out-patient department (OPDs) and patient wards.
“Emergency services will function normally as the resident doctors will purportedly continue to work in the emergency services as per their scheduled duties,” AIIMS New Delhi said in a statement.
Similarly, the Uttar Pradesh RDA announced a statewide strike across all medical colleges in the state.
In Karnataka, doctors from the state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have strongly condemned the heinous rape and murder, while the Association of Physicians of India sent out posters asking all doctors to wear a black badge in solidarity with the victim and urged them to display the message in their clinics.
Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has also announced the suspension of elective and non-emergency medical services by resident doctors from 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 13, until the demands of Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College residents are met.
Raising concerns about the integrity of the ongoing probe, resident doctors have called for a transparent investigation into the case, requesting an immediate transfer to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA) have also issued statements demanding a fair investigation and strict action against the culprits.
Amid outrage over the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday that the state would hand over the case to the CBI if Kolkata Police fails to solve the case by this week.
Earlier, in June 2019, junior doctors at Kolkata’s NRS Medical College and Hospital went on strike demanding adequate safety for medical professionals. This followed the assault of two junior doctors at NRS. The protests led to a collapse of healthcare facilities in the state at that time.
First Published: Aug 12 2024 | 7:42 PM IST
