JHARKHANDHealthcare services in Jharkhand were disrupted on Saturday as doctors joined the strike.Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh, IMA’s state secretary, said services would continue until 6 am on Sunday. “We demand justice and condemn the vandalism at RG Kar MCH,” he added.Dr Arun Kumar Singh, IMA state chief, noted that while elective services, OPD activities, and elective surgeries are suspended, emergency services remain unaffected. A march will be held in Ranchi later in the day. Junior doctors at RIMS-Ranchi and five other medical colleges joined the strike in solidarity.ASSAMSimilarly, doctors across Assam joined the protest on Saturday. Outpatient and non-essential services were significantly impacted as doctors wore black badges and displayed placards at various hospitals.”We want justice for the victim and her family, and emphasize the need for awareness to prevent such crimes,” said a resident doctor at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Another junior doctor highlighted the lack of security for on-duty staff, stating, “We are often called in the middle of the night without adequate protection.”Protests also took place at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh, Rupnath Brahma Civil Hospital in Kokrajhar, and Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, where doctors called for CCTV installations to enhance security. Similar protests were held in Nagaon and Golaghat.Placards featured slogans such as “No safety, no duty,” “No justice, no peace,” “Stop shielding rapists,” “Doctor life matters,” and “We want justice.”GOADoctors practicing independently and in various private hospitals across Goa joined in the protest. Emergency services in private hospitals remain unaffected, while a silent protest march is planned from Azad Maidan to Old Goa Medical College and Hospital. The Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) has also been on strike since Friday afternoon and will decide on extending it based on the response from their parent body in Delhi.DELHIThe strike in Delhi entered its sixth day, with elective medical services suspended as doctors continue their protest. Resident doctors’ associations (RDAs) from various hospitals, including AIIMS and RML, held demonstrations and candlelight vigils across the city. Patients have expressed frustration over treatment delays, although emergency services remain operational. Private hospitals have supported the strike but continue their elective services.KARNATAKAMembers of the Indian Medical Association in Karnataka also joined the protest, doctors all over the state are staging protest marches across the southern state. In Bengaluru, over 1,000 doctors are participating in a demonstration at the IMA office in Chamarajpet.The IMA Karnataka unit president, Srinivasa S, stated that all branches across the state will remain closed, with no outpatient department (OPD) services available. He emphasised the need for justice for the victim and called for a central law to safeguard doctors.In response to the strike, the Karnataka government on Friday suspended the leaves of medical officers and surgeons at government hospitals. A circular from the Health and Family Welfare Department instructed district health officers, district surgeons, and hospital administrators to ensure that emergency services remain operational and do not inconvenience the public. IMA Karnataka unit president Srinivasa S stated that all branches will remain closed with no OPD services, but emergency services will continue unaffected.Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao assured that emergency services will remain unaffected by today’s nationwide IMA strike. He urged doctors to handle critical cases and announced a meeting on Tuesday to discuss measures for preventing such incidents.KERALAIn Kerala, all non-emergency medical services, including OPD, were disrupted as doctors protested outside medical colleges and hospitals, Similar demonstrations occurred at other hospitals, including the General Hospital in Ernakulam. Patients reported being rescheduled to Monday due to the strike. Emergency and casualty services continued to operate as usual.
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