The ongoing strike by doctors, protesting the assault and death of a female trainee-PG doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has led to a drastic reduction in services at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. According to an official report by Dr. Nirupam Madaan, Medical Superintendent of AIIMS, Delhi, the hospital has seen a more than 90 percent decrease in outpatient department (OPD) consultations, admissions, and operations in its theatres.
While emergency services and intensive care units (ICUs) continue to operate normally, other critical areas of the hospital, including radiological investigations and nuclear medicine, have also experienced a sharp decline, with laboratory services witnessing an 80 percent reduction.
In response to the RG Kar Medical College incident, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a nationwide strike. Doctors at AIIMS Delhi participated by staging a protest march within the campus on Saturday, holding posters and chanting, “We want justice.”
IMA National President Dr. Asokan stated on Saturday that it is now crucial for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the situation surrounding the trainee doctor’s death in Kolkata. He added that the IMA would be formally requesting the Prime Minister’s involvement.
The IMA has announced a 24-hour withdrawal of services by all modern medicine doctors across the country, regardless of their sector or place of work. This protest action, in response to the widespread outrage over the tragic incident at RG Kar Medical College, began at 6 am on Saturday and will continue until 6 am on Sunday, August 18, 2024. During this period, only emergency and casualty services will remain operational, while OPDs and elective surgeries have been suspended.
The incident on August 9, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, has sparked nationwide protests and strikes by the medical community.
