Hyderabad: The 24-hour call for withdrawal of services ended at 6 am on Sunday, following which doctors, including seniors, went back to work. However, black badge protests and gatherings continued across the state throughout the day. A mega rally will be taken out on Tuesday where junior doctors from all medical colleges are expected to participate.A significant development was a call for a meeting from Telangana Commission for Women chairperson Sharada Nerella with , TJUDA representatives. In order to ensure safe working conditions for women healthcare professionals in government facilities, the TJUDA demanded designated restrooms, round-the-clock police presence and CCTV monitoring. They also sought a safety mobile app and security checks along with breath-analysers and deployment of CISF personnel without outsourcing. They mandated screening of people entering hospitals, while junior doctors asked for greater accountability for incidents happening at the workplace with the onus being on the health department. Anti-harassment committees with deadlines and unannounced inspections by judicial magistrates must be ensured, said doctors, who also suggested paired night shifts. The Osmania and Gandhi hospitals units of TJUDA continued to support each other’s sit-in protests and candle vigils. They also participated in the protests and rallies carried out by various organisations in other parts of the city. IMA vice-president Arjun Raj appealed for deployment of a centrally-appointed special ‘healthcare’ protection force to prevent violence against healthcare professionals.
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