BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) will hold a protest on June 18 against a series of attacks on doctors on Covid duty in different parts of the country. Expressing anguish and solidarity, the medical body will observe the protest by wearing black badges, masks, ribbons and running an awareness campaign on the violence against healthcare professionals.
They have demanded implementation of Central Hospital and Health Care Professionals Protection Act with IPC and CrPC, standardisation and augmentation of security in each hospital, stringent punishment for culprits under fast-track mode and declaring hospitals as protected zones.
IMA members said several doctors have sustained multiple fractures and serious injuries while female doctors faced more violent verbal and physical assaults during duty. “This is happening every day. We have tried our best to bring these distressing acts to the notice of both the governments at the State and Centre, but there has not been much relief. We are conscious of our duties during the pandemic. The protest will not hamper the medical services,” said State secretary Dr Braja Kishore Dash.