Live Updates: 24-Hour Strike Begins Over RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Incident in Kolkata

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced that despite the nationwide strike of doctors, essential services will be maintained and casualties will be attended to. However, routine outpatient departments (OPDs) will not function, and elective surgeries will be suspended during the strike. This withdrawal of services affects all sectors where modern medicine doctors are providing healthcare. The IMA has urged for the incorporation of amendments made in 2023 to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019 through a Central Act, to strengthen existing legislation across 25 states.

It has also suggested the enactment of an ordinance similar to the one during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the IMA has called for hospitals to be declared safe zones with mandatory security entitlements, such as enhanced security protocols, CCTV installation, and deployment of security personnel. The doctors’ body also seeks a comprehensive overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors, emphasizing the need for improved working hours and safe resting spaces. Furthermore, the IMA is demanding a thorough and professional investigation into the recent Kolkata horror, with a specific timeframe for justice delivery, as well as identifying and punishing those involved in the vandalism of the hospital premises.

The recent tragic incident at a medical college in Kolkata, where a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered, has sparked nationwide protests among doctors and women’s groups. These protests reflect widespread anger at the failure of existing laws to deter violence against women, prompting doctors across the country to participate in a 24-hour strike. The strike, initiated by the IMA, began in response to the heinous incident at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.