The protest by the doctors in Delhi over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata entered its seventh day on Sunday with all elective medical services remaining suspended.
The strike severely impacted major hospitals in the city including AIIMS, Safdarjung, and RML, causing significant inconvenience to the patients.
Doctors of private and government hospitals are united in protest, advocating for justice for the victim and calling for the implementation of a security act for doctors.
Indian Medical Association president Dr RV Asokan on Sunday wrote an emotional letter amidst growing protests for the safety of doctors.
“We failed her in life, but we as a nation did not let her down in death. It is difficult to capture the mood of the nation. Anger, revulsion, frustration, helplessness,” he expressed in the letter.
On the other hand, resident doctors held protests on Sunday morning at AIIMS, Safdarjung, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Lady Hardinge, GTB, DDU, and other hospitals.
By evening, a protest march was organized from Lady Hardinge Hospital to Jantar Mantar. During the march, doctors were briefly stopped near Shivaji Stadium, but due to the increasing number of doctors joining the protest, they were eventually allowed to proceed to Jantar Mantar.
Dr Rohan Krishnan, president of the Federation of All India Residents Association (FAIMA), stated that along with seeking justice, they are demanding a central law for protection. He emphasized that under the current circumstances, no one can work, and the demands of the doctors are justified.
Meanwhile, the Action Committee for the Central Protection Act, which represents all Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDAs) in Delhi, announced after a meeting on Sunday that the strike would continue due to unresolved safety concerns for healthcare workers.
This decision follows what the committee perceives as insufficient assurances from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in the wake of the tragic incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.
The ministry had issued a notice on August 17, indicating plans to form a committee to propose safety measures.
However, the doctors’ association expressed frustration, noting that previous committees have not produced significant outcomes. The strike will impact all academic activities, outpatient departments (OPDs), ward services, and elective surgeries, according to the committee.
Despite the strike, essential emergency services, including intensive care units (ICUs), emergency procedures, and emergency surgeries, will continue to function.
Non-emergency services, such as OPDs, diagnostics, and elective surgeries at city hospitals, including those run by the central government like AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, and RML Hospital, have been disrupted since Monday.
Earlier, on Friday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of services by all modern medicine doctors, regardless of their sector or workplace.