New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced the nationwide withdrawal of services by practitioners of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am on Sunday, August 18, for 24 hours, as a mark of protest against the heinous incident and the attack on the protesting doctors by a mob at RG Kar hospital. During the strike, the medical body said essential services would remain operational, and doctors would also attend emergency cases. However, during this time, the routine outpatient departments (OPDs) will be closed, and elective surgeries will be postponed, IMA said. “The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors: Indian Medical Association,” the medical body said.
Meanwhile, following the incident of vandalism at the RG Kar Medical Hospital, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) has announced that it will resume its protest with “renewed resolve” just two days after it decided to call it off. The death and rape of the physician trainee reignited rage over violence against women and prompted nationwide protests by colleagues. Resident doctors across major government hospitals in Delhi, including AIIMS, VMMC-Safdarjung Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, shut down elective services on Monday morning — three days after the rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor — and went on strike, demanding better security and safety measures for medical personnel, and the central law. On Tuesday, the FORDA said it had decided to call off its strike after a meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda.
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The organisation had said its demands had been met, including one seeking an assurance that the Central Healthcare Protection Act would be passed to curb attacks on medical personnel. However, the key medico’s body announced the resumption of protests after Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDAs) of many hospitals on Wednesday accused it of taking the decision to end the protest without consulting them and backstabbing the medical fraternity. Meanwhile, a task force of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has recommended a maximum of 74 working hours a week for resident doctors and an AIIMS-Delhi pay structure in all medical colleges, among other measures to better the mental well-being of medical professionals. The National Task Force on Mental Health and Wellbeing of Medical Students, under the country’s apex medical education regulatory body, NMC, in a report said excessive duty hours pose risks to the physical and mental health of medics and also compromise patient safety. The task force was set up to review cases of suicide among medical students.