IMA Announces Nationwide Strike by Doctors on August 17

Starting tomorrow, doctors across India will observe a 24-hour strike, as announced by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The nationwide protest will begin at 6 AM on August 17 and end at 6 AM on August 18. The strike is in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. While state-level protests have already taken place, this is the first nationwide call for doctors to withdraw non-essential services.

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Essential Services to be Maintained During Nationwide Doctors’ Strike

“All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. 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,” a release from the IMA said.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) also announced a protest against the incident at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on August 16.

“To voice our protest against these acts, we (BMC MARD, IMA, IMA JDN, ASMI) are organising a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, on 16th August 2024 at 1 pm. We urge our fellow medical colleagues, doctors, medical students, resident doctors, senior doctors and other associations to join us in this protest against the injustice,” MARD said in a press release.

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Widespread Outrage After Murder and Alleged Rape of Doctor in Kolkata

The incident at Kolkata’s government medical college has led to widespread outrage, with the Bengali film and television industry also joining hands with protesting doctors at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was found murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, reports have since said that the deceased was raped, with Kolkata police arrested multiple people since the event and interrogating many more.

Earlier this week, at midnight on Thursday, mayhem unfolded at the hospital with police taking refuge inside bathrooms and seeking help from nurses as at least 18 departments, including the Emergency department, ICU and HDU and even the store room, male wards and bathrooms were vandalized and CCTV cameras were broken.

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IMA Condemns Vandalism and Law Enforcement Failures Amid CBI Probe

The IMA has strongly condemned the vandalism at the Kolkata hospital, criticizing the authorities for their negligence in allowing such a tragic crime to occur and their failure to maintain law and order during the ongoing CBI investigation.

Earlier this week, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI. Following the incident, the NHRC took suo motu cognizance based on media reports and demanded a detailed report within two weeks. The rights panel noted that the deceased’s body had scratch marks, suggesting a struggle during the attack, and mentioned the family’s claims that the victim was raped and murdered. The Commission also requested information on measures being taken to prevent such incidents in the future.