Kolkata doctor rape case: IMA to halt medical services nationwide for 24 hours starting 6 am on Saturday

Kolkata doctor rape case: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has stated that it will halt all non-emergency medical services across the country for 24 hours from 6 am on Saturday (August 17), as per a PTI report.

The association added that all services, except for the casualty ward and essential services, will be withdrawn for 24 hours from 6 am on August 17 to 6 am on August 18 across sectors.

“All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted,” it added.

Further, services will be halted across sectors where modern medicine doctors provide service, the organisation said, adding, “IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors.”

This was announced late on August 15. The statement said the reason for the decision is the rape and murder of the on duty doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata on August 9. She was a post graduate of chest medicine.

“This has shocked the medical fraternity and the nation alike. Ever since the Resident doctors are on strike. Protests as well as candle marches have been held across the country by IMA as well,” it said.

Reason for the Decision

The statement accused the college authorities of handling the crime situation “shabbily”, adding that “police investigations stalled after the first day”.

The statement also listed a number of subsequent events, including the Calcutta High Court directing the state police to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13 after flagging possible “destruction of evidence if the state police continued with their investigation”.

It added that the hospital was vandalised by a large crowd on August 15, and this attack “destroyed various sections including the area where the victim was found and protesting medical students were attacked as well”.

“Doctors especially women are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the concerned authorities to the needs of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers,” it added.

Vandalism at RG Kar Medical Hospital

The call for the nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services was taken after a meeting with state branches of the IMA, as per the PTI report.

The association had condemned vandalism at the hospital on August 15, adding, “Authorities, who by their negligence had allowed such a heinous crime to happen, have once again failed to maintain law and order when an all-important CBI investigation is going on.”

“Such vandalism with impunity points to anarchy and the breaking down of law and order. The IMA condemns this mindless violence and is apprehensive of loss of crucial evidence,” it said in the statement.

Around 40 miscreants, carrying sticks, bricks and rods, entered the hospital premises while pretending to be protestors and proceeded to vandalise the property, Kolkata Police told PTI.

They destroyed the Emergency Ward, its nursing station and medicine store, a section of the Out Patients Department (OPD) at the hospital, destroyed several CCTV cameras in and around the area, and pelted stones at police personnel, prompting the force to lob tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, as per the police.

A police vehicle was overturned and several two-wheelers damaged by the vandals. Some police personnel were also injured.

(With inputs from PTI)