Kolkata hospital rape-murder: Nationwide doctors’ protest hits OPD services

Resident doctors of government hospitals across the country went on an indefinite strike on Monday (August 12) to protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The strike paralysed services such as OPDs (out-patient departments) and non-emergency surgeries.

The stir was in response to a call from the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), which said, "The strike will not be lifted until justice is served and our demands are met."

The association on Monday announced an extension of its indefinite strike after a meeting with Union health ministry officials failed to reach any resolution.

Strike to continue on Aug 13

FORDA president Aviral Mathur announced after the meeting that the strike would continue on Tuesday (August 13).

"I, along with the association members and doctors, met with the Union health minister's team on Monday. Since no resolution was reached regarding the demands, the strike will continue for another day," Mathur had said.

He had also clarified that emergency services would continue to function.

Elective services affected in Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ranchi

Elective services in government hospitals in Delhi remained shut on Tuesday as the resident doctors' strike entered its second day. In AIIMS, Delhi, the number of daily surgeries has reduced by 80 per cent and admissions have come down by 35 per cent after doctors began an indefinite strike, reported PTI.

Most hospitals in Kolkata are witnessing patients and their relatives complaining of lack of services in the outpatient wards.

Protesting doctors at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow marched to the outpatient department to stop work.

Junior doctors at the state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Tuesday started 'pen-down' agitation by boycotting OPD services and elective surgeries in protest.

Emergency services not affected

However, they continued to attend emergency services at the premier hospital.

The agitating doctors demanded a CBI probe into the rape and murder of the woman doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

"Around 200 doctors have joined the agitation and senior resident doctors have also supported our stir. Our protest excludes emergency services as we do not want any patient in need to suffer," Ankit Kumar, president of Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) at RIMS, told PTI.

"Apart from a CBI probe, we also demand the safety of doctors at the workplace," he added.

FORDA’s demands

FORDA, in a letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, described the Kolkata crime as “perhaps the greatest travesty to have occurred in the history of the resident doctor community”.

The association has made several demands:

• The resignation of all the authorities who could not protect the dignity and life of a woman doctor who was on duty.
• Mandated security protocols by the Centre for healthcare workers.
• Swift action in the case.
• An assurance that the protesting doctors will not be manhandled.

IMA demands enactment of central law

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also written to Health Minister Nadda demanding the enactment of a central law to curb attacks and violence against doctors as a deterrence measure, and the declaration of hospitals as safe zones.

The IMA said that 25 states in India have laws to prevent violence against doctors, but they were largely ineffective. One of the reasons was the absence of a central law, said the doctors’ body.

(With agency inputs)