AIIMS resident doctors have been on an indefinite strike since August, protesting the murder and rape of a junior doctor in Kolkata.
The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) at AIIMS New Delhi has announced that they will continue their strike in protest of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. However, they assured that emergency services and ICUs will remain operational.
On Sunday, the doctors’ association announced that they will offer elective OPD services outside Nirman Bhawan, where the health ministry is located, as part of their protest. The OPD will commence at 11 a.m. on Monday.
“Resident doctors will be available to provide elective OPD services across approximately 36 specialties, including medicine, surgery, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, orthopedics, and others, to patients outside Nirman Bhawan,” the AIIMS RDA stated in a release.
They also emphasized that doctors will offer patient care services in the nation’s interest and in accordance with their Hippocratic oath.
“We want to bring attention to the lack of security for healthcare professionals across the nation. We urge the government to urgently implement a central ordinance to ensure the safety and security of healthcare workers and institutions,” stated the AIIMS RDA. “We request the authorities to permit this and make the necessary arrangements for providing elective outpatient services outside Nirman Bhawan.”
The resident doctors of AIIMS have been on an indefinite strike, suspending all elective and non-essential services, including OPDs and wards, since August 12.
On Sunday, the association wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to enact a central law via an ordinance to protect healthcare workers and institutions.
They emphasized that hospitals, much like temples, are sanctuaries where healing and hope are nurtured. “With a sincere and heartfelt plea, we seek your support in safeguarding these sacred spaces,” they wrote in their letter to Prime Minister Modi.
The RDA highlighted that doctors work in high-pressure environments, constantly facing life-and-death challenges, making them particularly vulnerable.
Rape and Murder of Kolkata Doctor
On August 9, a trainee doctor was raped and murdered inside a seminar hall at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The crime occurred late at night on the third floor of the chest department, where multiple lacerations and wounds were later discovered on her body.
While Sanjoy Roy, the main suspect, has been arrested, investigating agencies have yet to rule out the involvement of others in the crime. This heinous act has sparked widespread outrage and led to protests within the medical community and beyond.
IMAGE CREDIT: Hindustan Times
