Nationwide strike at government hospitals
New Delhi/Kolkata : Resident doctors of government hospitals across the country went on an indefinite strike on Monday to protest the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, paralysing elective services including OPDs and non-emergency surgeries. The move comes in response to a call from the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) which said the "strike won't stop unless justice is served and our demands are met".
According to the FORDA, during the indefinite strike, outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres, and ward duties will be shut, but emergency services will continue to operate as usual. In the national capital, junior doctors from multiple hospitals, including centrally-run facilities AIIMS, RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, began strike in the morning, causing hardships to patients who visited out-patient departments of the medical facilities only to be returned without any consultation. In West Bengal, junior doctors, interns, and postgraduate trainees at government medical establishments across the state vowed to continue their agitation, now in its fourth day, until the culprits are brought to justice.
A two-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) this afternoon arrived in Kolkata and is scheduled to meet city police commissioner Vineet Goyal and the family members of the victim. The body of the postgraduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the RG Kar Hospital, was found on Friday morning. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pledged to transfer the case to the CBI if the state police fail to solve it by Sunday. Joining the nationwide strike, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of AIIMS Delhi suspended all elective and non-essential services, including OPDs and patient wards. However, emergency care will continue to ensure critically ill patients do not suffer and receive treatment, Dr Raghunandan Dixit, General Secretary of AIIMS RDA said. While several government hospitals in Delhi had announced strike on Sunday itself, AIIMS Delhi announced it around 11.30 am on Monday.
Raising concerns about the integrity of the ongoing probe, resident doctors have called for transparent investigation into the case, requesting an immediate transfer to the CBI. "We also want that adequate compensation should be given to the bereaved family of the victim. The horror of this atrocity, occurring in a place meant to heal and save lives, is a grim reminder of the severe threat faced by those who serve," Dr Dixit said.