NEW DELHI: Agitated resident and junior doctors will continue their nationwide indefinite strike, which has entered its 10th day on Wednesday, to push the Central government to enact a law to protect healthcare professionals.
The decision to continue the strike was taken after the Indian Medical Association, which is the largest organisation of healthcare professions in the country with over 4 lakh members, called a meeting of all resident doctors associations (RDAs), who have shunned work since the brutal rape-murder of a Kolkata woman doctor, to jointly chalk out future plans.
According to Dr Dhruv Chauhan, national council coordinator of the Indian Medical Association-Junior Doctors Network, who attended the IMA meeting at its headquarters in Delhi, the decision of all the RDAs is to continue the strike.
“All the RDAs have decided to continue the strike. We don’t want assurances, we want an ordinance. All the RDAs decided that strong action was needed to awaken this government. We don’t know what the government’s problem is in bringing a Central law for the protection of doctors. It’s the need of the hour,” he told this newspaper.
He said the RDAs shared their views on the lack of security with the IMA.
Dr Rohan Krishnan, National Chairman of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), said all the RDAs unanimously decided to continue the strike.
“Our major demand with the government is for CPA for all healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics,” he added.
The meeting was attended by 30 RDAs.
National President, Dr R V Asokan, said the meeting was called after the Supreme Court intervened on the issue of an indefinite strike call given by resident and junior doctors, protesting the brutal rape-murder of a trainee woman doctor.
“The whole discussion of today’s meeting was centered on pushing the government to bring an ordinance,” he said. The IMA also wrote to Union Health Minister JP Nadda demanding the need for the Central Protection Act.
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