Kolkata rape-murder: IMA announces 24-hour nationwide medical shutdown
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide strike of doctors in protest against the recent rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The strike will begin at 6:00am on Saturday and will continue till 6:00am on Sunday. During this time, all essential services will be maintained and casualties will be manned. However, routine Outpatient Departments (OPDs) will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted.
Essential services will continue; routine OPDs, elective surgeries won't
"The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service..IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors," the doctors' body said in a statement. "This has shocked the medical fraternity and the nation alike. Ever since the Resident doctors are on strike. Protests as well as candle marches have been held across the country by IMA as well," it said.
IMA requires the sympathy of the nation: Statement
The statement also accused the college administrators of managing the issue "shabbily," adding that "police investigations stalled after the first day." The statement detailed a number of subsequent occurrences, including the Calcutta High Court asking the police to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Inquiry (CBI) after warning of possible "destruction of evidence if the state police continued with their investigation." It further mentioned the vandalism on August 15, when "protesting medical students were attacked as well."
What happened at the RG Kar Medical College?
On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. The semi-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found on August 9 morning in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital. A civic volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime.
IMA convened emergency meeting with state branches today
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has also announced a protest against the incident at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on August 16. Similarly, the Medical Student Association, Government Medical College, in Amritsar has announed the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including OPDs, OTs and wards, beginning on August 16.
