The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a 24-hour nationwide strike starting at 6 AM on August 17, following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Non-emergency medical services, including outpatient departments and elective surgeries, are suspended as doctors protest for justice and better working conditions.
IMA’s Five Key Demands:
- Improved Working Conditions: A complete overhaul of resident doctors’ working and living conditions, including reducing excessively long duty shifts.
- Stronger Legal Protections: Implementation of a central law to protect healthcare professionals from violence, incorporating recent amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act.
- Thorough Investigation: A timely and professional investigation of the crime, with swift justice for the victim and punishment for those involved in hospital vandalism.
- Enhanced Hospital Security: Airports-like security protocols in hospitals, including CCTV cameras and mandatory security personnel.
- Compensation for the Victim’s Family: Dignified compensation to the victim’s family reflecting the severity of the crime.
Protests and marches by doctors have been held across the country, with demands for justice and better security at medical campuses. The investigation has been transferred to the CBI, but dissatisfaction with the process remains high among the medical community.
