Residents Doctor Association (RDA) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday treated patients wearing helmets and bandages. The doctors have also decided to boycott work on Friday to protest against an attack on their colleagues in West Bengal.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also expressed solidarity with the doctors and asked all the members across the country to wear black badges on Friday. The AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association has condemned the violence in West Bengal and also urged the RDAs across the country to join the token strike.
In a letter to all its state presidents and secretaries, the IMA has asked them to organize demonstrations in front of the district collectors’ offices from 10 am to 12 noon on Friday and hand over a memorandum addressed to the prime minister to the collectors in every district.
The Delhi Medical Association has also asked its members to observe a “Black Day” on Friday. Apart from all that, many individual members of the IMA and the DMA have come out to urge the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to enact a law against violence on medical practitioners.
The move came after the kin of a patient who was being treated at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata attacked the doctors after the patient’s demise alleging negligence. This stirred up a statewide cease work protest across the state with both Government and private doctors joining the protest.
When contacted, a senior official of RDA (AIIMS) told ‘The Pioneer’ that the situation in Bengal is very scary. “We are getting reports that about 200 goons are still outside the hospital and the ground situation is really scary. Even the government in Bengal is threatening the doctors to join duty or be thrown out,” he said.
Considering the gravity of the matter, we organized a silent protest on Thursday to show solidarity. We demand strictest action, he said. In a statement issued on Thursday, the AIIMS RDA said the ongoing and worsening of violence against medical doctors in West Bengal is worrisome and disheartening. “There is a complete breakdown of law and order, with reports of mobs attacking doctor hostels with weapons. The government has failed to provide protection and justice to doctors,” the statement read.
“AIIMS RDA condemns this in words and in spirit. Residents across the country are deeply hurt by these turn of events. Keeping in view of our commitment towards safe and non-violent working environment for residents, AIIMS RDA stands in support of our colleagues in West Bengal and has decided to hold protest on June 13 which would be
followed by one day strike of work on June 14 which include OPD, routine and ward services except for emergency services,” it said.