NEW DELHI: Over three lakh doctors and medical students from several government hospitals across the country on Monday embarked on an indefinite strike against the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year woman doctor on duty at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical Hospital last week.As doctors, mainly resident doctors, joined the nationwide protest call given by the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), which has 5 lakh members, all elective services in government-run hospitals came to a halt.The agitation will likely intensify on Tuesday, with more states, resident doctors associations, and even private institutions set to join the protest. Doctors, some wearing white coats, with stethoscopes and masks, took out protest marches, raised slogans, demanding justice, waved placards and asked for a central law for protection.Will hand over doctor murder probe to CBI if police fail to solve case within a week: West Bengal CM MamataHighlighting that women are not even safe in hospitals, doctors came out in large numbers in Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and several other states and cities.Announcing that all elective surgeries have been halted in solidarity with the West Bengal government-run hospital, where healthcare workers are on strike to protest the heinous assault that took place on August 9, doctors said their agitation will continue till their demands are not met.Speaking to this paper, Dr R.V. Asokan, National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said the agitation has spread to almost all the states, and they are also writing to Union Health Minister J P Nadda on the need for a central law to protect doctors.“We are supporting any medical organisation that is joining the protest. We are assessing the situation and will soon take a call to join the indefinite strike call given by junior doctors fully.”“Hospitals across the country should be declared as safe zones,” the letter read. The IMA also said that all major government hospitals should have police camps and adequate security personnel and similar security arrangements should be made mandatory in large private hospitals.Dr Aviral Mathur, President of FORDA, said they have written to Home Minister Amit Shah demanding expeditious acceptance of residents’ of R.G. Kar Medical College, swift action against the guilty, resignation of all the responsible authorities, no police brutality or manhandling of the protesting doctors, speedy justice for the deceased, and speedy ratification of the Central Healthcare Protection Act.The doctors will continue the strike until a written assurance that their demands have been fulfilled is received, said Dr Sarvesh Pandey, FORDA general secretary. FORDA members later met senior union health officials, who requested them to take back the strike. “We will not take back the indefinite strike call until our all demands are met,” Pandey added.Strikes to continueHighlighting that women are not even safe in hospitals, the doctors said that their strike will continue until their demands are fulfilled, said Dr Sarvesh Pandey, FORDA general secretary. The protesting doctors met health officials, who requested them to take back their strike. “We will not take back the strike until all our demands are met,” he added. They said that more doctors in other states and AIIMS may join on Tuesday.
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