Doctors Nationwide Halt Services, Protest Against Kolkata Doctor’s Rape and Murder

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th August. Doctors across India have halted all services except emergency procedures in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, leading to nationwide demonstrations by medical professionals.

The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) has announced a suspension of elective medical services in hospitals across the country. In a letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, FORDA condemned the Kolkata incident as “perhaps the greatest travesty to have occurred in the history of the resident doctor community.” The association is demanding the resignation of officials responsible for the security lapse and assurances that protesting doctors will not be subjected to violence.

FORDA is also calling for the implementation of security protocols for healthcare workers, urging the central government to enforce measures that would ensure the safety of medical professionals. The ongoing protests have severely impacted medical services in Kolkata, where patients and their relatives have expressed frustration over the disruption.

In Lucknow, doctors at King George’s Medical University joined the protest by marching to the outdoor patients’ department, bringing work to a standstill. Similar protests have erupted in Mumbai, with doctors from major hospitals like JJ Hospital, Sion Hospital, Nair Hospital, and King Edward Memorial Hospital participating.

At AIIMS Delhi, the indefinite strike has led to an 80 percent drop in daily surgeries and a 35 percent decrease in admissions. The AIIMS administration has issued a circular urging doctors to return to work, citing a High Court order that prohibits protests on hospital premises.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sent a letter to Health Minister Nadda, demanding a central law to curb violence against doctors and calling for hospitals to be declared safe zones. The IMA highlighted the ineffectiveness of state laws, noting that the absence of a central enactment has allowed violence against medical professionals to persist.

In the latest developments in the Kolkata case, a civic volunteer who frequented the hospital has been arrested in connection with the doctor’s rape and murder. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has given city police until Sunday to complete the investigation, after which the state government will consider recommending a CBI probe.