Doctors across India continued their protest on Tuesday, severely affecting non-emergency services, including outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective surgeries in many government hospitals. The protest is in response to the brutal rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.
The doctors are demanding a fair investigation into the incident and better security in hospitals. The ongoing strike has led to the disruption of OPD services and elective surgeries, leaving many patients without care. The strike was organised by the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), which has stated that the strike will continue until justice is served and their demands are met.
Despite discussions with the Union Health Minister's team, no resolution was reached, prompting the doctors to continue their strike. FORDA's demands include immediate action on the concerns of residents at RG Kar Medical College, protection against police brutality, respectful treatment of protesting doctors, and justice for the victim's family.
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has also called for a nationwide shutdown of OPD services starting August 13.
The victim, a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee, was found dead on August 9 in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has promised to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the state police fail to solve the case and arrest the suspects by Sunday.
