Doctors Across India to Strike Over Trainee Doctor’s Tragic Death in Kolkata
Doctors of modern medicine in India will withdraw services from 6 am on August 17 to 6 am on August 18, as announced by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). This strike is in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.
Routine OPDs and elective surgeries will be halted, but essential services will continue. The IMA stated, “All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors.”
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) also announced a protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on August 16. MARD stated, “To voice our protest against these acts, we (BMC MARD, IMA, IMA JDN, ASMI) are organising a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, on 16th August 2024 at 1 pm. We urge our fellow medical colleagues, doctors, medical students, resident doctors, senior doctors and other associations to join us in this protest against the injustice.”
Meanwhile, people from the Bengali film and television industry have also joined hands with protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. The incident triggered massive protests. On Wednesday, the protest ground and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalised by a mob, forcing the security personnel to disperse the crowd.
Doubts Revealed
Strike -: A strike is when people stop working to show they are unhappy about something. In this case, doctors are stopping work to show they are upset about the death of a trainee doctor.
Trainee Doctor -: A trainee doctor is someone who is learning to become a doctor. They are still in training and not fully qualified yet.
Kolkata -: Kolkata is a big city in India. It is the capital of the state of West Bengal.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) -: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is a group of doctors in India. They work together to make sure doctors are treated fairly and can do their jobs well.
RG Kar Medical College -: RG Kar Medical College is a school in Kolkata where people learn to become doctors. It is also a hospital where doctors treat patients.
Routine OPDs -: Routine OPDs are regular check-ups and visits to the doctor that are planned ahead of time. OPD stands for Outpatient Department.
Elective Surgeries -: Elective surgeries are operations that are planned in advance and are not emergencies. They can be postponed if needed.
Essential Services -: Essential services are very important jobs that must continue even during a strike. For doctors, this means taking care of emergency patients.
Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) -: MARD is a group of doctors in training in the state of Maharashtra. They work together to support each other and improve their working conditions.
Bengali film and television industry -: This is the group of people who make movies and TV shows in the Bengali language, which is spoken in West Bengal and other parts of India.
