Doctors from several parts of the country continued their protest on Tuesday against the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, leading to the halting of out-patient services and long queues at hospitals.
Elective services in government hospitals in Delhi remained shut as the resident doctors' strike entered its second day.
Doctors and medical students protested at AIIMS Delhi and Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, demanding a CBI probe into the case and stating that the strike will continue until a written assurance on the Central Protection Act is provided.
"This is such a serious incident... If such incidents happen at workplaces, how will women work? We have several demands regarding safety concerns. We want a CBI probe into this; till then, we will continue our protest," said Dr. Indra Shekhar Prasad, President of the Resident Doctors Association AIIMS Delhi.
Resident doctors in Maharashtra began an indefinite strike this morning in support of the nationwide protests. All elective services in hospitals across the state have been halted, but emergency services will continue uninterrupted, Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (Central-MARD) President Dr. Pratik Debaje told PTI.
"From 9 am, we have stopped work at all OPDs (out-patient departments) and elective services. Only emergency services are operational across the state," Dr. Debaje said.
The resident doctors' body said on Monday that the decision to halt work was not easy but necessary to ensure their demands were met. It also urged local MARD units in Maharashtra to join the stir.
Doctors and medical students staged a protest in Mumbai and Nagpur, demanding justice for the woman post-graduate trainee doctor. In Nagpur, doctors and medical students staged a protest in front of the OPD of Govt Medical College & Hospital (GMCH).
Meanwhile, medical services at government facilities in Jaipur, including the largest state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, were affected as resident doctors went on a strike.
Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD) president Dr. Manohar Siyol said that emergency services were unaffected on Tuesday. He said that resident doctors have suspended all elective and non-essential services, including OPDs, OTs, and wards.
On Monday evening, JARD announced the immediate suspension of non-essential services, with resident doctors demanding a transparent investigation in the rape-murder case, the resignation of responsible authorities, compensation to her family, the implementation of a central law for their protection, and workplace safety measures at all medical colleges across the country.
The superintendent of SMS Hospital, Dr. Sushil Bhati, said that alternative arrangements have been made for smooth functioning. He said that due to incessant rainfall in Jaipur and other parts of the country, the number of patients coming to OPD is comparatively less, and senior doctors have been engaged in OPD to ensure that OPDs function normally.
Similarly, junior doctors at the state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Tuesday started a 'pen-down' agitation, boycotting OPD services and elective surgeries. However, they continued to attend to emergency services.
The agitating doctors demanded a CBI probe into the rape and murder of the woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
"Around 200 doctors have joined the agitation, and senior resident doctors have also supported our stir. Our protest excludes emergency services as we do not want any patient in need to suffer," Ankit Kumar, President of the Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) at RIMS, told PTI.
Notably, resident doctors of government hospitals in several parts of the country went on an indefinite strike on Monday to protest against the incident, paralysing services such as OPDs and non-emergency surgeries.
The stir was in response to a call from the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), which said, "The strike will not be lifted until justice is served and our demands are met."
The association on Monday announced an extension of its indefinite strike after a meeting with Union health ministry officials failed to reach a resolution.
The protests come as the body of the postgraduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, was found on Friday morning. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case.
The incident has sparked widespread protests, with junior doctors and healthcare workers expressing deep concern over their safety.
