Nationwide Strike by Doctors Continues Following Kolkata Tragedy

Outpatient services in government hospitals across several states were disrupted on Tuesday due to a strike by resident doctors. The strike, sparked by the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee in Kolkata, entered its second day as the CBI took over the investigation.

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) announced on Tuesday night that it was ending its nationwide indefinite strike after Union Health Minister J P Nadda accepted their demands. However, doctors at AIIMS, Indira Gandhi Hospital, and other associations like FAIMA stated their protest would continue until a central law to protect medical personnel is implemented.

Central Law Demand

A delegation from FORDA met with Nadda at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday night. FORDA said the decision to end the strike would take effect from Wednesday morning. A significant outcome of the meeting was the health minister's agreement to form a committee with FORDA’s involvement to work on the Central Protection Act. The ministry assured that work on this would begin within 15 days, according to a statement from the resident doctors' body.

In West Bengal, where the protest originated, junior doctors' agitation severely impacted state healthcare services. Emergency and outdoor departments in most government hospitals were non-functional. Long queues of patients were seen at outpatient departments as senior doctors stepped in for their junior counterparts.

Protests Across States

In Maharashtra, resident doctors joined the indefinite strike on Tuesday. Dr Pratik Debaje, president of Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors Central-MARD, said all elective services in hospitals across the state had been halted, but emergency services continued uninterrupted. "From 9 am, we stopped work at all OPDs and elective services have been stopped. Now, only emergency services are operational across the state," Dr Debaje stated.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation into the case from Kolkata Police to the CBI on Tuesday. A division bench led by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam urged agitating doctors to call off their cease-work, emphasising their "pious obligation" to treat patients in government hospitals.

The CBI took over the investigation following the high court's direction. A team from Delhi, including forensic scientists and medical experts, will visit Kolkata on Wednesday. This direction came after a petition by the victim’s parents for a court-monitored probe and multiple PILs seeking CBI intervention.

Statewide Impact

In Uttar Pradesh, protests continued for a second day at various medical colleges in cities like Greater Noida, Varanasi, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Gorakhpur, and Lucknow. Despite ongoing protests, emergency services remained functional at participating medical colleges.

In Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla, patients faced inconvenience at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital due to a resident doctors' strike. Many elderly patients who had travelled long distances had to return without treatment. "We have closed the OPDs to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata and demand justice for the victim," said S Sharma, a resident doctor at IGMC hospital.

Nationwide Reactions

Doctors and students at Agartala Government Medical College staged demonstrations demanding severe punishment for those guilty in the case. In Ranchi, junior doctors at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences began a pen-down agitation by boycotting OPD services and elective surgeries while continuing emergency services.

In Rajasthan's Jaipur, medical services at government facilities including Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital were affected as resident doctors went on strike protesting against the Kolkata incident. On Monday evening, Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD) announced an immediate suspension of non-essential services.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) held a meeting with Union Health Minister J P Nadda to discuss key issues affecting the medical community. They presented a memorandum demanding hospitals be declared safe zones and introducing a central law against violence. Dr R V Asokan, National President of IMA, stated that Nadda agreed to consider these demands and accepted security stipulations for medical colleges.

Ensuring Safety

The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued an advisory urging all medical colleges and institutions to develop policies ensuring a safe work environment for staff members including faculty, students, and resident doctors.

The protests highlight ongoing concerns about safety in medical institutions across India. The commitment from authorities to address these issues is seen as a step towards ensuring better protection for healthcare workers.