HYDERABAD: Responding to the call by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to boycott the OP and Elective OT services in support of the nationwide protest against the rape and murder of a 31-year-old second year PG student at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, the medical fraternity sprung into action on Saturday.
Government and private hospitals across the state appeared like battle grounds as their doctors raised slogans, banners and placards, hoping their voices will be heard and justice will be served to the victim. Doctors said they will ensure that their efforts will not be in vain and that they will make a dent in the system.
The usually crowded OPD sections of various leading hospitals in the heart of the city wore a deserted look on Saturday morning as services were stalled. The premises displayed notices stating that regular services were cancelled for 24 hours due to protests, while the staff gathered to express solidarity with their counterparts in government hospitals.
Leading private hospitals such as Apollo Hospitals, CARE Hospitals, AIG Hospitals and KIMS Hospitals cancelled their services.
Officials from various private hospitals told TNIE that prior communication was sent to the patients regarding cancellation of services on Saturday and most of the people were already aware of the protest. So, there was no major turnout of patients and no inconvenience was reported as such.
Meanwhile, members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) gathered in the morning at Dharna Chowk, where many doctors from both private hospitals and government hospitals were also present.
Speaking to TNIE, IMA member Dr Pratibha Lakshmi said, “The nationwide cancellation of services is IMA’s call to make our voices heard. The gruesome murder of the doctor in a government hospital in the capital city of a state is not limited only to the medical fraternity. It concerns the safety of women at workplaces at large. Attempts have been made to divert the real issue and the murder was earlier termed as a suicide. We do not want one scapegoat but instead want all the real culprits to be punished. We are here to stay and will continue our fight till justice is served.”
Another female doctor from Deccan Medical College said that the services were cancelled to make common people aware of the issues that doctors were facing and to garner their support in the movement.
The protest also gathered support from political circles as Congress MP Kadiyam Kavya and BJP MP Etala Rajender addressed the protesters. Kavya said that she will raise the issue of security of doctors in the Parliament and that it was a matter of shame that such a horrific incident occurred in a state where a woman was the chief minister. BJP MP Eatala Rajender stressed on the urgent need for safe work environments for doctors.
Meanwhile, black badge protests were held at Niloufer Hospital and T-JUDA continued with their ongoing protest in Gandhi as well as Osmania Medical College and Hospital, which was also supported by NIMS and government medical colleges (GMCs) in the districts.
Campuses of GMCs in all districts including Karimnagar, Mahbubabad, Jangaon, Wanaparthy, Siddipet, Jagtial, Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jogulamba Gadwal, Asifabad, Nirmal as well as RIMS Adilabad, KMC Warangal and AIIMS Bibinagar witnessed massive protests.
IMA members told TNIE that the further course of action will be decided in a day or two and until then, the services at government hospitals will remain suspended.
