AIIMS to lead docs’ protest at Health Ministry
NEW DELHI: The ongoing doctors’ strike is set to escalate further as a coalition of resident doctors’ associations (RDAs) from leading hospitals in the national capital, spearheaded by the AIIMS, plans to stage a protest outside Nirman Bhavan today at 2 pm
This newly-formed coalition, still unnamed, has outlined four key demands, including a written assurance from the central government on the enactment of a Central Protection Act (CPA) for not only doctors but all healthcare workers.
The coalition comprises RDAs from Centre-run hospitals including AIIMS, Safdarjung, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Lady Hardinge Medical College, as well as RDAs from Delhi government-run hospitals like Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay and University College of Medical Sciences. A member of the group expressed the need to unite RDAs across the capital to press for the CPA as a separate and urgent issue, despite the ongoing strike already being led by national organizations such as the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), who share similar demands.
The group’s demands also include a detailed roadmap for the implementation of the CPA, which they will present to the central ministry during today’s demonstration. “All associations and members of the healthcare fraternity are invited to participate in the protest march to show solidarity and demand action. The common demands were agreed upon by all the RDA include immediate arrest of the individual responsible for the horrific and tragic murder and rape of a female doctor at Kolkata and a written assurance from the government regarding the enactment of a Central Protection Act for doctors, healthcare professionals, and hospitals. This assurance must include a clearly defined, time-bound roadmap for its implementation,” a statement from the group shared with this newspaper read.
The doctors’ association also warned escalation of the ongoing agitation if their demands are not met.