Doctors are demanding safe working environment
A day after Mamata Banerjee dubbed protesting doctors in wake of attack on interns in NRS hospital on Monday as outsiders, the rage of the medical community is spreading far and wide. It is not only confined to hospitals in West Bengal now.
Mass Resignations continue, HC asks Bengal govt to reply
Doctors in the national capital Delhi are also on strike on Friday to protest against the barbaric attack on two interns in NRS hospital in Kolkata where their skull was badly hit. While a mob of 200 attacked the doctors protesting death of an octogenarian, so far only five have been arrested. Doctors are striking with the single point demand that state government has to ensure their security. Some doctors in Mumbai have also joined strike protesting the brutal attack on their fellow colleagues in Kolkata.
Across the country, from Kerala to Bihar, from Chhattisgarh to Rajasthan, doctors are attending protest marches to make their voices heard.
However, Mamata Banerjee known for her fiesty nature has refused to back down and has blamed BJP and outsiders for the doctor agitation. She has claimed that the state government has taken steps to rectify the 'unfortunate' incident.
West Bengal CM also gave deadline to doctors to join work else their hostels would be vacated. However, doctors have promptly ignored Didi's threat. Both principal and super of NRS medical college have resigned from their post on Thursday.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, "I'd like to assure all doctors that Govt is committed towards their safety. I appeal to doctors to hold symbolic protests only & continue to carry out their duties".
"Despite getting beaten so badly, doctors have only asked her (Mamata Banerjee) to provide them with adequate security and also demanded action against the perpetrators of the violence as per the law," Vardhan said.
"But instead of doing that, she warned them and gave an ultimatum which angered doctors across the country and they proceeded on strike. So if the chief minister acts in a sensitive manner in such a grave scenario, patients across the country will not suffer. I plead to the West Bengal chief minister to not make this an issue of prestige," he said. Doctors from AIIMS and other institutions also met him and submitted their list of demands.
So while medical services are hampered in some of the metros, in other places the doctors are taking part in symbolic protest as solidarity to their attacked brethren in Kolkata.
Calcutta HC on Friday refused to pass any interim order in this case. It said that the state government has to find out a way to ensure that doctors resume their work. It asked state government to apprise them about steps taken on 21st June.
With agency inputs
1. IMA has slammed inaction of Bengal government
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Condemning the violence in Bengal, the AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) has also urged all the RDAs across the country to join the token strike."There is a complete breakdown of law and order, with reports of mobs attacking doctor hostels with weapons. The government has failed to provide protection and justice to doctors.
"The AIIMS RDA condemns this in words and in spirit. Residents across the country are deeply hurt by these turn of events," the RDA said in a statement.The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has asked members of all its state branches to stage protests and wear black badges on Friday.
In a communique to all its state presidents and secretaries, the IMA has asked them to organise demonstrations in front of the district collectors' offices from 10 am to 12 noon on Friday and hand over a memorandum, addressed to the prime minister, to the collectors in every district.
The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) observed a "Black Day" on Thursday against the brutal attack and has declared a statewide absolute shutdown on Friday.
The DMA Executive stated that the organisation is ready for an agitation to press for strong legislation and strict action against violence at hospitals.
Simultaneously, all the local branches and individual members of the IMA will send an appeal to the prime minister and the Union Home Minister, demanding a Central Act on violence against doctors and in hospitals.
The IMA has also urged its state branches to communicate the information to the government doctors' organisations of the states and request for their support and issue press statements to this effect.
"The gruesome incident in NRS Medical College, Kolkata, is of barbaric nature. IMA condemns the violence perpetrated on a young doctor. The entire medical fraternity expresses solidarity with the resident doctors who are on strike. The IMA headquarters hereby declares All India Protest Day on Friday," an IMA statement said.
2. Stalemate continues in Bengal
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The medical facility across the state is completely hampered as only the emergency ward is operational. Doctors have ceased work in all other departments and are protesting against the state government claiming they haven't done enough to ensure their secutity.
With passing hours, the number of resignations piling on, making the job of Mamata Banerjee more tricky to bring this inferno of rage under control. So far around 100 doctors in NRS medical college, 18 in Sagar Dutta medical college and 27 doctors from North Bengal medical hospital have given their resignation.
3. Situation in Delhi
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Doctors from AIIMS, Safdarjung and other hospitals are not working today. The patients are facing a lot of problems who have to go from one place to another.
Delhi: Resident Doctors' Association, Safdarjung Hospital holds protest over violence against doctors in #WestBengal. pic.twitter.com/qFELP2hXuX
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2019
Delhi: Patients and their relatives outside the OPD at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of AIIMS is on strike today over violence against doctors in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/rRCeZqDfxr
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2019
4. Strike in Maharashtra too
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Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) are observing strike today over violence against doctors in West Bengal. Official statement says, "We are shutting down our OPD, ward and academic services from 8 am to 5 pm today. Emergency services will not be hampered."
5. Why junior doctors are striking?
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Junior doctors in West Bengal are on a strike since Tuesday after two of their colleagues were attacked and seriously injured at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
In the wake of the strike, the AIIMS has instituted contingency measures to take care of the admitted patients, including those in the ICUs and wards.
As part of contingency measures, OPD services will function in a restricted manner till normalcy is restored, according to a memo put out by AIIMS medical superintendent.
Only follow-up patients with prior appointment will be registered in OPD while registration of new patients will be done as per availability of the faculty, it said.
Routine operation theatre (OT) services will remain suspended and only emergency cases will be taken up for surgical operations. Diagnostic services will also function in a restricted manner, it added.
The memo asked heads of all clinical departments will make arrangements for round-the-clock availability of doctors of concerned speciality either from research staff or by faculty members. "Under no circumstances, any inpatient ward will function without physical availability of doctors of concerned speciality," it said.
6. Protest across the country
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The resident doctors at Raipur's Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital raised slogans on the streets in protest against the incident in Kolkata.
Doctors at North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri have also joined the strike as have the medical practitioners affiliated with Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).
In cities like Jaipur, doctors have carried on with their duties wearing black bands as a mark of the protest, the members of Indian Medical Association, Trivandrum, on the other hand, held protests over the alleged violence.
Doctors with 'Save the Saviour' and 'Stand with NRSMCH' protested at the Government Medical College in Nagpur.
