NEW DELHI: Government hospitals, including all the AIIMS, saw OPD (outpatient department) and other elective services shut down as junior and resident doctors refused to return to work for the second consecutive day to protest the brutal rape and murder of a postgraduate woman trainee doctor on duty in a government hospital in West Bengal.
The indefinite strike call given by various resident doctors’ associations, demanding action in the brutal incident, a safe working environment for doctors, and a separate Central law prohibiting violence against healthcare workers, led to innumerable difficulties for patients, especially poor people, who throng these government hospitals from far and wide.
As more and more doctors, including MBBS students, across the country joined the protests and shut work, a delegation of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has approximately 3.5 lakh member doctors in 1,700 active local branches in 29 states and Union Territories in India, met Union Health Minister JP Nadda.
In a late-night development, after meeting with Nadda, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), which was the first to call for an indefinite strike, announced that they have called off their strike in public interest.
The Union Health Ministry also posted on X that the minister met with the FORDA delegation. “He welcomed their decision to call off the strike in the public interest and assured them that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will address all their concerns to ensure a safer and better work environment.”
However, FAIMA chairman Dr Rohan Krishnan said they will continue with the strike. Speaking to this newspaper, he said, “Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDA) of more than 65 medical colleges are with us and want us to continue the strike, as our demands are yet to be accepted. We want the Central Protection Act for healthcare workers. AIIMS RDA and all national institutions, VMMC, and all states will be shut down on Wednesday.”
Dr Krishnan said that except for Lady Hardinge Medical College and Maulana Azad Medical College, the rest of the RDAs will join the strike on Wednesday, which will continue till their demands are met.
IMA national president Dr RV Asokan, who had also met Nadda earlier in the day, said that they would support resident doctors in their protest.
He said they have raised five issues with the health minister. “We want the government to declare hospitals across the country as safe zones; a Central law prohibiting violence against healthcare professionals; National Medical Commission (NMC) to bring in security stipulations for recognition of medical colleges; a CBI probe into the West Bengal incident, and better working conditions and accommodation for resident doctors.”
He said while the CBI probe has been announced by the Calcutta High Court, the NMC, which regulates medical education, issued a public notice soon after their meeting that all medical colleges and institutions should ensure a safe workplace environment within the college and hospital campus for all the staff members, including faculty, medical students and resident doctors.
“The policy should ensure adequate safety measures in OPD, wards, casualty, hostels, and other open areas on campus and in residential quarters. Corridors and campus should be well lit in the evening so that staff can walk safely... and CCTV will cover all sensitive areas for monitoring,” said the NMC notice. It said that adequate security staff should be available in the premises. “The college management should promptly investigate any violence and an FIR should be lodged with the police,” it said.
However, this failed to placate the agitating doctors.
MBBS students, too, join protest across India
More doctors, including MBBS students, from across the country joined the protests and stayed away from work. Meanwhile, a delegation of the Indian Medical Association met Health Minister JP Nadda and raised issues such as declare hospitals as safe zones, a central law prohibiting violence against healthcare professionals, NMC to bring in security stipulations for recognition of medical colleges.
