To highlight the lack of security for the medical fraternity, doctors across the city have decided to observe 'No Practice Day' once in a month.
The decision comes after a day-long strike by the resident doctors of KEM on Tuesday to protest against the assault on five of their colleagues by the relatives of a patient over an autopsy issue.
The Maharashtra Opthalmologists' Society (MOS) has been protesting since January by declaring 24th of every month as 'No Practice Day'.
The Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) will also join the ongoing protest by MOS and will continue till they get an appropriate solution to the security issue.
"We want the long-pending legislation on doctors' protection to be passed," said Dr Lalit Kapoor of AMC.
Other associations which will be supporting the cause include the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian Academy of Paediatricians, General Practioners Association and Colo Rectal Surgeons' Association.
According to the doctors, legislation is already in place in Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
According to the legislation, attacks on medical practioners or destruction of hospital property is a non-bailable offence.
Maharashtra Government had promised for the law three years back but inspite of several incidents across the state, no action has been taken, said Dr S Natarajan of MOS.
On Tueday, five persons of the 15 "relatives" at KEM were arrested under different sections of IPC one of which was a non-bailable one (section 353), said to senior police officials.
"But they might get a bail through the court," the officials said.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Public Health and family welfare minister Rajendra Bhaskarrao Shingane said on Thursday that the government is trying hard to push the legislation during the coming session next week through an Ordinance.
"We are confident that we will be able to do it," Shingane said.
