BENGALURU: Medical professionals across the state joined the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) call for nationwide protest to shut down all non-emergency services, with the doctors statewide staging a mega protest and conducting a march within the healthcare facilities and Freedom Park on Saturday.
The nationwide uproar followed after a doctor’s rape and murder case in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, and the hooliganism vented on the protesting members on the Independence Day.
The doctors from government hospitals and medical teaching colleges had been protesting from August 12 across the state, however, private doctors, members of Bangalore Ophthalmic Society (BOS), private hospitals, Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) and medical college students, also joined the 24-hour strike which started on Saturday 6 am, with the doctors keeping their duties aside to demand safe work environment and strict law implementation.
As the Outpatient Department (OPD) services were shut down, the doctors were instructed to work on a roster to ensure that the casualty ward, emergency and essential services, were not affected. Patients seeking non-emergency services, however, faced disruptions.
Speaking with TNIE, officials from Victoria Hospital said that many patients, unaware of the protest, had lined up for OPD consultations and follow-up check ups. However, they were sent back. Officials from KC General Hospital also mentioned that the situation was the same but the patient count was less. “The volunteers explained the situation to those who had visited the hospital for routine check ups and OPD services, and we have requested them to visit again,” the official mentioned.
In Bengaluru alone, more than 4,000 Karnataka Association Of Resident Doctors (KARD), 1,500 members from St John’s Hospital, over 300 members of Resident Doctors Association (RDA) NIMHANS, 400 members from PHANA, joined the strike alongside many medical private doctors, postgraduates and interns.
Dr Govindaiah Yatheesh, President of PHANA, said that the heinous crime against the doctors should serve as a lesson and another chance to implement corrective measures.
He highlighted that the protest is a symbolic stand against hooliganism. “We, as doctors, have taken an oath to save lives, but who is there to protect us? he questioned, further asking why the Central Healthcare Protection Act, proposed in 2018, has yet to be implemented.
An IMA member said that during the pandemic, doctors sacrificed everything to serve their patients. However, when they now ask for basic rights, it seems that only doctors are speaking out against the injustice.
KARD members also highlighted multiple challenges that the doctors face daily. They argued over the state government’s inaction and lack of response to their needs, whether it’s fair stipend, affordable course fees, or protecting their rights.
The protesting doctors warned that if the authorities continue to ignore their needs, they may be forced to escalate their protest, which could involve suspending emergency services or duties by the resident doctors, interns, and postgraduates.
Participants rode through the city’s major routes, holding placards and banners demanding justice for the victim, and stricter enforcement of workplace safety protocols.
Students protest
Students at ESIC Medical College in Rajajinagar staged a protest on campus, demanding justice for a victim. Doctors at the college joined the protest, abandoning their duties to express their support. They chanted slogans such as “No Safety, No Duty,” “Justice Delayed, Justice Denied,” and “Save the Saviors.” The protest also received backing from the AIDSO Students’ Organisation Bangalore District Committee.
Science society expresses solidarity
The Breakthrough Science Society also expressed solidarity with the medical community and institutions nationwide, calling for justice and improved social safety. They emphasized the need for an accountable administration, a swift and impartial investigation, and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators. The Society urged its members, supporters, and the public to actively participate in the ongoing movement against rape, murder, and violence against women.