Doctors' strike cripple hospital services, IMA calls for PM Modi's intervention | 10 points
Protests and candle marches held across India, with OPDs and elective surgeries shut down on Saturday. IMA urges PM Modi to enact central law.
OPD services were disrupted nationwide as doctors joined the 24-hour strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in protest of the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata on August 9. The strike also condemned the vandalism at the hospital on August 14.
Doctors from states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and others participated, with OPDs and elective surgeries shut down in both private and public hospitals, while only emergency services remained operational.
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Kolkata doctors' protest Top 10 updates
1. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in securing five key demands, including a central law to protect healthcare workers and declaring hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security measures.
2. Kolkata Police have restricted public gatherings around RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for seven days, starting August 18, to maintain order during ongoing protests.
3. Doctors at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, organized a candlelight march on Saturday, demanding justice for the victim and strict punishment for those responsible.
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4. In Odisha, the Nursing Employees Association held a candle march at Sahid Laxman Nayak Medical College, with nurses and doctors protesting the incident.
5. Theatre artists in West Bengal joined the protests by staging a midnight march on Saturday to express their outrage over the crime.
6. Similar protests took place in Maharashtra and at AIIMS Mangalagiri, where junior doctors and medical students voiced their anger over the incident.
7. The Union health ministry announced plans to form a committee that includes state representatives to suggest safety measures for healthcare workers. The ministry urged doctors to resume their duties, especially considering the rising number of dengue and malaria cases.
8. The IMA is reviewing the health ministry's statement but expressed skepticism, noting that similar committees in the past have not led to significant progress or legislation.
9. Dr. Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, was questioned by the CBI for the second consecutive day on Saturday as part of the ongoing investigation.
10. Alapan Bandyopadhyay, chief advisor to the West Bengal chief minister, launched the "Rattirer Shaathi" programme, a set of new measures to ensure the safety of women working night shifts in hospitals.
