New Delhi: Doctors' organizations across the country have raised their voice over security concerns. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide strike on August 17, which will be specifically against the murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. The IMA has demanded that hospitals be declared safe zones and the government should immediately implement the Central Protection Act. Apart from this, IMA will also protest against the violence that took place at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.
FORDA to resume strike
The recent vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where a trainee doctor was brutally raped and murdered last week, has reignited the strike by a prominent doctors' association, just days after it was initially called off.
On Tuesday, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) had decided to end its strike, which began on Monday. FORDA decided to go on strike following the shocking rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor. However, FORDA decided to end the strike after a meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda. FORDA was assured that their demands, including the enactment of the Central Healthcare Protection Act to curb violence against medical personnel, would be met.
Both FORDA and IMA have jointly announced their strike and protest plans. These organizations believe that concrete steps need to be taken for the safety of doctors and they are hoping for a concrete solution with the government on this matter
RDAs across the country opposed FORDA's desision to end strike
However, this decision to call off the strike sparked discontent among various resident doctors' associations (RDAs) across the country. Notably, the RDAs at several major hospitals, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, expressed their disagreement, stating that they would continue the strike. The resident doctors' association at Safdarjung Hospital even declared its disassociation from FORDA in protest.
In a significant reversal on Thursday, FORDA announced that it would resume the strike immediately. The organization cited the violence at RG Kar Medical College as the catalyst for this decision, acknowledging that their earlier move to end the strike had caused widespread distress among the medical community.
In a statement, FORDA expressed, "In light of the recent troubling events at RG Kar Medical College, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) addresses our colleagues, the medical community, and the public with renewed resolve... We acknowledge that our earlier decision to call off the strike, made in good faith based on assurances from the Ministry, has caused distress and disappointment within our community. We accept responsibility for this and understand the widespread discontent it has caused."
FORDA announced plans to collaborate with other RDAs
FORDA condemned both the Union Ministry and the State Government for failing to uphold their commitments and ensure the safety of healthcare professionals during this crisis. The organization emphasized the gravity of the situation, calling it a "dark chapter" for the medical profession.
As FORDA resumed its strike, it announced plans to collaborate with other RDAs to develop a unified plan of action. "The events of the past few days have reinforced our commitment to our rights, our dignity, and the future of our profession. This is a pivotal moment. We must stand firm, united, and resolute in our struggle for justice and the respect we deserve," the statement added.
Docs to wear black badges on Friday
In solidarity with the strike and in protest against the horrific events, the Lucknow chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the largest association of doctors in the country, announced that its members would wear black badges on Friday. This gesture aims to express outrage over the rape and murder, as well as the subsequent attack on RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The IMA's Lucknow chapter issued a statement demanding stringent laws to prevent violence against doctors and hospital staff. "We demand from the central government to make a stringent law for violence against doctors and hospital staff at the earliest. Every doctor's security under a safe environment should be the responsibility of the government," the statement read.
The chapter further declared, "On 16th August 2024, we will all wear black badges on duty as a mark of protest against such a brutal and heinous crime and to show solidarity towards the family of the victim."
Rampage at RG Kar Medical College
Meanwhile, in Kolkata, a vigil organized by women under the banner 'Women, Reclaim the Night' on Wednesday night turned violent. Some individuals entered the premises of RG Kar Medical College and went on a rampage, attacking vehicles and damaging public property. The situation escalated to the point where the police had to resort to a lathicharge and fire teargas shells to control the crowd.
The Kolkata Police reported that 15 policemen were injured, and nine persons were arrested in connection with the violence.
The trainee doctor's body was discovered last Friday, and the autopsy report revealed that she had suffered multiple injuries before being smothered to death. The police have since arrested a civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, who is now in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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