Resident doctors at major hospitals, including the AIIMS, remained on strike on Wednesday over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, disrupting elective services for two weeks. Earlier, resident doctors' association (RDA) of AIIMS also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in enactment of a central law via an ordinance to protect healthcare workers and institutions across the nation.
The AIIMS administration on Wednesday urged the protesting doctors to return to work as the OPD services remained hit for straight second week.
In a note, AIIMS said, "The undersigned along with the entire AIIMS family stands behind the cause of safety of all healthcare professionals at AIIMS New Delhi & across the Country. However, as doctors, our supreme duty is also to ensure that the patients visiting our portals do not go unattended.
The Government of India is committed to the cause of healthcare professionals safety unequivocally and the Hon'ble Supreme Court, while assuring affirmative action for ensuring safety of healthcare professionals, has requested all doctors to resume duties in the interest of patient care. Accordingly, the undersigned is kindly requesting the Resident Doctors of AIIMS New Delhi to resume their duties immediately so that patient care services are normalized."
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the alleged rape-murder of the female doctor at the state-run hospital in the West Bengal capital, as protests demanding justice for the victim continued across the nation. The SC also criticised the Kolkata government for its lackadaisical approach towards the inhumane case.
