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Resident doctors of government hospitals across the country went on an indefinite strike on Monday to protest the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, paralysing elective services including outpatient departments and non-emergency surgeries.
The move comes in response to a call from the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) which said the "strike won't stop unless justice is served and our demands are met".
According to the FORDA, during the indefinite strike, OPDs, operation theatres, and ward duties will be shut, but emergency services will continue to operate as usual.
In the national capital, junior doctors from multiple hospitals, including centrally-run facilities AIIMS, RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, began strike in the morning, causing hardships to patients who visited out-patient departments of the medical facilities only to be returned without any consultation.
In West Bengal, junior doctors, interns, and postgraduate trainees at government medical establishments across the state vowed to continue their agitation, now in its fourth day, until the culprits are brought to justice.
A two-member team of the National Commission for Women on Monday afternoon arrived in Kolkata and is scheduled to meet city police commissioner Vineet Goyal and the family members of the victim.
The body of the postgraduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the RG Kar Hospital, was found on Friday morning. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pledged to transfer the case to the CBI if the state police fail to solve it by Sunday.
Joining the nationwide strike, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of AIIMS Delhi suspended all elective and non-essential services, including OPDs and patient wards.
However, emergency care will continue to ensure critically ill patients do not suffer and receive treatment, Dr Raghunandan Dixit, General Secretary of AIIMS RDA said.
While several government hospitals in Delhi had announced strike on Sunday itself, AIIMS Delhi announced it around 11.30 am on Monday.
Raising concerns about the integrity of the ongoing probe, resident doctors have called for transparent investigation into the case, requesting an immediate transfer to the CBI.
"We also want that adequate compensation should be given to the bereaved family of the victim. The horror of this atrocity, occurring in a place meant to heal and save lives, is a grim reminder of the severe threat faced by those who serve," Dr Dixit said.
"Our hearts are heavy with profound grief and shock over this heinous act. Even as time has passed, the wheels of justice have moved slowly. The investigation into this horrific crime has yet to bring forth answers, and the lack of resolution only deepens our despair and frustration," the AIIMS Delhi RDA said in a statement.
In the national capital, other major hospitals which participated in the strike included the Maulana Azad Medical College, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Institute of Human Behaviour, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Allied Sciences, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College, and National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases Hospital.
FORDA general secretary Dr Sarvesh Pandey told PTI, "We presented our demands to the Health Secretary, including the immediate removal of the principal of RG Kar Medical College, a CBI inquiry, a fast-track court (trial), and the formation of a committee to implement the Central Protection Act."
Dr Dhruv Chauhan, the national council member of the Indian Medical Association's Junior Doctors Network, told PTI: "Unlike every time when the assault on doctors went unnoticed , the doctors' nationwide strike won't stop this time unless justice is served and our demands are met."
"...FORDA has decided halting of elective health services across the nation which is supported by all the doctors and medical associations. At a personal level, we also request the doctors to wear black ribbons as a mark of solidarity in support of the victim who lost her life," Chauhan added.
In several hospitals, doctors were seen holding posters that say 'we want a safe environment to work' and raised slogans of 'we want justice'.
GTB Hospital RDA president Rajat Sharma said, "This is a matter of national concern and until we see concrete results, we will not back down. We will stand with our fellow students and offer our full support."
The Kolkata incident was heinous and unimaginable, Sharma said.
Referring to a recent killing of a person at GTB Hospital, he also pointed to security concerns at the hospital.
RDA members have also met with Health Secretary Apurva Chandra, where they called for a CBI inquiry into the incident.
In Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow, resident doctors from several government hospitals held protests against the incident and demanded a time-bound probe into the matter.
The protests were held at the King George's Medical University, Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute and Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences.
Tying black ribbons on their hands and holding placards, the protesters demanded a thorough probe into the matter and also security for the medical staff in hospitals.
Dr Ritika, President of Resident Doctors' Association, KSSSCI, said, "We demand a probe into the matter. It should be time bound."
Protests were also held in Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, Jhansi; UP University of Medical Sciences, Saifai; SN Medical College, Agra; and a hospital in Kanpur.
According to KGMU spokesperson Dr Sudhir Singh, services of the hospital, including OPD and emergency, were not affected due to the protests.
In Chandigarh, junior doctors of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research held a protest against the incident.
In Jammu, hundreds of resident doctors suspended their regular work and took out a peaceful rally to lodge their protest against the Kolkata incident.
Doctors wearing black armbands raised slogans calling for justice to the victim. They took out a rally from the Super Specialty Hospital holding placards, some of which read 努e stand in solidarity with the victim", "no mercy for rapists" and "raise your voice before you become the next victim".
In Maharashtra, resident doctors announced an indefinite strike from Tuesday to show solidarity with their colleagues who are protesting across the nation against the incident.
"All elective services in hospitals across Maharashtra will be halted from Tuesday. All emergency services will be continued as usual," the Central MARD (Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors) said in a statement on Monday.