Doctors practicing modern medicine across India will halt their services from 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, to 6 a.m. on Sunday, August 18, according to a statement released by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday.
The strike has been organized by the IMA in response to ongoing protests in Kolkata concerning the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College.
The IMA’s statement clarified that while routine outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective surgeries will be suspended for the 24-hour period, essential services will continue to operate.
“Essential services will remain functional, and emergency cases will be attended to. Routine OPDs and elective surgeries will be paused. This strike applies to all sectors where modern medicine doctors are working. The IMA seeks national support for the cause of its doctors,” the release read.
Additionally, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has announced a protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on August 16.
“To express our opposition to these acts, we (BMC MARD, IMA, IMA JDN, ASMI) are organizing a peaceful demonstration at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, on August 16, 2024, at 1 p.m. We encourage our fellow medical professionals, students, resident doctors, senior doctors, and other associations to join us in protesting against this injustice,” stated MARD in a press release.
In solidarity with the protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, individuals from the Bengali film and television industry have also joined the demonstrations.
The tragic incident occurred on August 9, when a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. This led to widespread strikes and protests from the medical community.
The protests have escalated, with the hospital campus at RG Kar being vandalized by a mob on Wednesday, prompting security personnel to disperse the crowd.
