The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a 24 hour nationwide strike and withdrawal of non-essential services by doctors from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am on Sunday, August 18, for 24 hours. The move to withdraw the essential services was taken as a mark of protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The IMA in a statement said that all essential services will be maintained and the casualties will be manned. “Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors.” the IMA said in a statement.
FORDA resumes protest
Earlier in the day, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) announced to resume its protests after unidentified miscreants vandalised RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
On Friday, the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) blocked roads and took out rallies in various parts of West Bengal, as part of its 12-hour general strike to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at a state-run hospital. Carrying flags and posters, the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) activists criticised the state government over its "failure" to ensure the safety and security of doctors.
"The vandalism that took place inside the RG Kar hospital proves that the state government is yet to learn its lessons from the murder of the woman doctor," an SUCI-C leader told PTI.
The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by miscreants on Thursday amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal, condemning the horrific rape-murder of the postgraduate trainee in the hospital's seminar hall on August 9.
Kolkata Metro to run as usual
In the meantime, the Kolkata Metro Railway said that it would run normal services on August 16 when a 12-hour general strike has been called by SUCI (C) party.
Metro authorities are making all necessary arrangements so that services run normally from 6 am to 6 pm (12 hours) on August 16 along the Dakshineshwar-New Garia, Joka-Majerhat, Howrah Maidan-Esplanade, Sealdah-Sector Five, New Garia-Ruby More corridors so that commuters do not face any inconvenience, a statement said.
"Adequate staffers will be deployed at all metro stations to run normal services tomorrow as per the schedule.
Adequate security personnel will also be deployed at metro stations to handle any emergency situation and help the commuters," it said.
Nation-wide strike tomorrow: what’s open
- All essential services will be remain open.
- Kolkata Metro will run as usual
Bharat bandh tomorrow: what’s closed
- Routine OPDs will not function
- Elective surgeries will not be conducted.
- Various medical services will be withdrawn across all sectors
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