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Chandigarh: Resident doctors at PGI to go on 1-hour pen down strike on Sept 16
The resident doctors at PGIMER, Chandigarh, will also form a human chain across the campus, wearing black badges
In response to the nationwide call by the All-India Residents’ and Junior Doctors’ Joint Forum, resident doctors at PGIMER, Chandigarh, will hold a one-hour pen-down strike from 8 am to 9 am at the OPD on Monday.
The doctors will also form a human chain across the campus, wearing black badges. However, the strike is not expected to impact the hospital services much, as the registration process will continue. Also, doctors normally attend to patients after 9 am only.
The strike call from the forum comes ahead of the September 17 Supreme Court hearing in the Kolkata rape and murder case.
Following the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata on August 9, doctors at PGIMER had earlier gone on strike for 11 days since August 12, demanding justice for the victim and safety of doctors at workplace.
The 11-day strike had brought the hospital services to a standstill. The OPD facilities were curtailed and no elective surgeries were performed, putting patients through immense hardship. Over 1,200 elective surgeries were delayed due to the strike.
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) had called off the strike following an appeal from the Chief Justice of India during a Supreme Court hearing. The doctors had then decided to give authorities a three-week window to address their demands, including justice for the Kolkata rape-murder victim and implementation of the Central Protection Act, while resolving to continue symbolic protests after duty hours.
The resident doctors had also submitted a list of suggestions for improvement of security arrangements at PGIMER, outlining a series of urgent measures required for ensuring their safety on the campus.
