Indefinite Strike by Telangana Doctors in Solidarity with Kolkata Rape Victim

Hyderabad: The Telangana Junior Doctors Association and Senior Residents Association have announced an indefinite strike from August 14 in support of nationwide demand for justice for the junior doctor who was raped and killed at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata.

Postgraduate doctors, senior residents, super speciality residents and house surgeons will be boycotting out-patient and elective services from August 14.

Their demand is that the case be fast-tracked by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which was handed the probe by the Calcutta High Court, and adequate compensation announced for the family of the victim. The strike will continue until a documented assurance is given for implementation of the Central Protection Act, 2020 for ensuring the safety and security of the healthcare personnel in all hospitals, medical colleges and government health facilities.

Both associations demanded safety measures such as separate male and female duty rooms for all doctors and installation of CCTV cameras on campuses.

The demand for security measures for doctors grew stronger on Tuesday with solidarity marches and black band protests being reported across the state in support of the PG student of RG Kar Hospital.

Doctors and medical fraternity raised slogans and held banners and held rallies and marches at government hospitals in Jagtial, Mahbubnagar, Siddipet and the Government Medical College in Nirmal. Rallies were also held in the Osmania and Gandhi medical colleges.

The doctors demanded a Doctors’ Protection Act to be passed by Parliament, which would lay down the protocol for protection and safety of health personnel. They also demand deployment of personnel from the central security services, such as the CISF, at government hospitals.

Their demands included reforms in the National Medical Commission. The All India Federation of Government Doctors Association has called for an all-India black badge protest on August 16. They will be meeting the Union health minister and senior officials.

With strikes and protests being seen across India, the National Medical Commission has come up with an advisory for all medical institutes to “develop a policy for safe work environment within college and hospitals for all the staff.”

“The policy should ensure safety measures in all departments and deployment of security personnel in OPD, wards, casualty, labour rooms, hostels and residential quarters. The incidents of violence need to be investigated by the hospital management and FIR should be lodged with the police. A detailed action taken report on any incident of violence should be invariably sent to the NMC within 48 hours of the incident,” the NMC advisory said.