NEW DELHI: Resident doctors in several government-run hospitals in various states refused to return to work for the third day on Wednesday, despite one of the associations calling off the strike late on Tuesday night after Union Health Minister JP Nadda’s verbal assurance that the government would consider a Central law for the protection of healthcare workers.
According to the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), over 3 lakh junior and resident doctors joined the indefinite strike call. “Over 150 resident doctors’ associations have joined us in this protest today. We will not bow down till our demand for a Central law for protecting healthcare workers is not accepted,” FAIMA founder Dr Manish Jangra told this newspaper.
Defying the announcement to call off the strike by the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), which was the first to call for an indefinite strike on Monday, resident doctors, junior doctors, interns, and even medical students came out in overwhelming numbers to protest.
In several AIIMS, doctors took out processions, formed human chains, raised slogans, demanded justice, and waved banners and placards. One placard read “Today us, tomorrow you,” and another, “No safety, No duty.” What was notable was that many women doctors came out in large numbers and waved posters reading “We want to be safe, not to be raped” and “Stop violence against doctors.”
The most affected state was West Bengal, where healthcare services completely stopped. Senior doctors joined their juniors in the protest.
According to Dr RV Asokan, National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), there has been “no gesture or even a response from the government that they are going to take steps to ensure the security of the doctors. How can I ask my young boys and girls to return to duty in such a situation? Nothing has been done so far, and the government has given no guarantee. In such a scenario, the strike will go on.”
Protest in all forms
NIMHANS, Bangalore, organised a blood donation camp. In AIIMS, Rae Bareli, faculty members registered their protest by wearing black bands. In Telangana’s Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, nursing staff joined the march in solidarity with resident doctors. In AIIMS, Delhi, faculty members issued a statement in support of their junior colleague and joined the protest march.
