VIJAYAWADA: Dr CS Raju, Vice-Chairman of the IMA-Hospital Board of India, announced that resident doctors under the Indian Medical Association’s Junior Doctors’ Network (JDN) will hold a dawn-to-dusk fast from 6 am to 6 pm on October 15, 2024, in medical colleges across the country.
The protest is aimed at highlighting the issues plaguing the healthcare system and advocating for the rights and well-being of medical professionals.
The primary focus of the protest is to seek justice for Abhaya, a postgraduate trainee who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The movement seeks to unify postgraduate doctors in a show of solidarity.
IMA-AP President, Dr. Jayachandra Naidu, emphasised that the protest calls for the implementation of a stringent central law to tackle violence against medical professionals, ensuring quick judicial and police intervention.
The doctors also demand the removal of the bond policy for postgraduate students.
Dr Kalesha Sahib, President of JDN, outlined further demands to address corruption, harassment, and the need for better health and mental support within medical institutions. The protest also seeks action against the drug culture in some medical colleges.
Key demands include capping working hours at 8 hours per day, providing one mandatory day off per week, and ensuring stipend parity across institutions.