VIJAYAWADA: The agitation by junior doctors across Andhra Pradesh, including those at government and private medical colleges, as well as All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, continued on Sunday as they sought justice for a resident doctor from RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, who was brutally raped and murdered.
This demand for justice is coupled with a call for the implementation of the Central Protection Act. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had earlier called for the suspension of Outpatients Department (OPD) services nationwide for 24 hours from August 17. Despite the conclusion of this nationwide strike, the junior doctors have vowed to continue their protests.
The residents, interns, and students of RG Kar Medical College expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) for their unwavering support through a letter. Protests intensified across the State on Saturday. In response to the escalating situation, the Central government has instructed State governments to provide updates every two hours via email.
APJUDA extended its boycott, initially covering electives and OPDs, to include the suspension of emergency services, which has been ongoing for the last three days. Alongside their demand for justice for the Kolkata doctor, APJUDA is pushing for the immediate release and strict implementation of the Health Workers Protection Act 2019, which had been previously introduced by the State government.
APJUDA vice-president Dr Dharmakar Pujari said the association has presented several demands to the government and will continue their agitation until these are addressed. He also indicated that emergency services would be resumed immediately if the State government issues clear instructions to implement the Healthcare Personnel and Healthcare Institutions (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2023.
In Vijayawada, doctors from Siddhartha Medical College demonstrated their commitment by creating a large painting and forming a human chain in the shape of India as part of their protest. In Guntur, medical students staged a protest in front of the GGH Superintendent’s office and performed a skit.
APJUDA Spokesperson Dr Kancharla Sai Sreenivas, said the protest is expected to escalate on Monday with a statewide programme called ‘Abhay Ka Bhai,’ where doctors will celebrate Raksha Bandhan with patients’ attendants to symbolise their role as protectors of healthcare professionals. He said organisations such as IMA, Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), All India Youth Federation (AIYF), and All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) stand in support of the movement.
At AIIMS Mangalagiri, doctors, interns, and students continued their protest, organising a mega rally and flash mob to raise awareness and demand justice.
