India: Thousands of doctors stage protest over violence

By Ahmad Adil

CHANDIGARH, India (AA) - Thousands of doctors staged protests in various parts of India Friday to show solidarity with their colleagues in West Bengal state after junior doctors were attacked at a hospital there earlier this week.

Junior doctors in some areas of the country even boycotted work.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday launched a nationwide protest and called for a strike Monday, leading to the withdrawal of non-essential services for 24 hours.

“Today it was mostly a protest day in each district of India. Resident doctors boycotted work in some of the cities. On Monday, there will be pan-India strike of nonessential services by the medical fraternity across the country,” IMA Secretary General RV Asokan told Anadolu Agency.

He said their main demand is the creation of a central law against violence at hospitals.

Health services were also affected in parts of the capital, New Delhi, after doctors boycotted work while protests were reported in several parts of the country.

“No doctor wants to harm their patients. Patients are our strength. Let them not become our weakness. A conducive environment free from the threat of violence is vital for providing optimal medical services and patient care,” said Uttam Thakur, who heads the resident doctors association at the Chandigarh-based Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. Doctors at the hospital staged four hours of protests Friday morning and refrained from work in its outpatient department.

The situation is worse in West Bengal, where doctors have been on strike since Monday night after two interns at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata city were assaulted by family members of a patient who passed away during treatment.

A warning issued to the doctors by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led to intensified protests.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan deplored the situation.

“I feel very sad that doctors across India had to strike work in protest against atrocities on doctors in West Bengal & consequently patients across India are suffering. I appeal to @Mamtaofficial to withdraw her ultimatum to the medical community & not make this a prestige issue,” Vardhan tweeted.

The IMA in a statement announced that protests would continue on Saturday and Sunday.

“The Indian Medical Association hereby calls for an all-India nationwide withdrawal of nonessential service at all healthcare institutions on Monday. All nonessential services…will be withdrawn for 24 hours…All emergency and causality services will continue to function,” it said in a statement.