‘Bandh’ in hospitals across India; IMA writes to PM Modi on security | India News
NEW DELHI: In a show of solidarity and anguish against brutal rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata, hospitals across the country shut down all non-essential services, including OPD and routine surgeries, on Saturday on a call issued by Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has shot off a letter to the PM seeking his intervention.
From Delhi to Chandigarh to Karnataka, doctors held protests to demand a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence at workplace, and speedy justice in R G Kar Medical College and Hospital’s doctor.
“IMA has held protests earlier also. But the kind of support we have received this time is unprecedented and points to the extreme anguish among medical professionals over this issue,” said Dr Vinay Aggarwal, chairman of IMA action committee.
Dr Aggarwal added that IMA’s main demand is a central act to deal with violence against healthcare workers and speedy justice in the RG Kar case. “We have written to the prime minister for intervention in the matter,” he said.
IMA’s letter states RG Kar incident has brought to fore two dimensions of violence in hospitals: a crime of barbaric scale due to lack of safe spaces for women and hooliganism that is unleashed due to lack of an organised security protocol.
“The crime and the vandalism have shocked the conscience of the nation. Doctors across the country have withdrawn non-essential services today (Saturday) and are providing only emergency and causality services,” the letter read.
It called for a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence, in addition to beefing up security protocols of all hospitals to the level of security provided at airports.
From Delhi to Chandigarh to Karnataka, doctors held protests to demand a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence at workplace, and speedy justice in R G Kar Medical College and Hospital’s doctor.
“IMA has held protests earlier also. But the kind of support we have received this time is unprecedented and points to the extreme anguish among medical professionals over this issue,” said Dr Vinay Aggarwal, chairman of IMA action committee.
Dr Aggarwal added that IMA’s main demand is a central act to deal with violence against healthcare workers and speedy justice in the RG Kar case. “We have written to the prime minister for intervention in the matter,” he said.
IMA’s letter states RG Kar incident has brought to fore two dimensions of violence in hospitals: a crime of barbaric scale due to lack of safe spaces for women and hooliganism that is unleashed due to lack of an organised security protocol.
“The crime and the vandalism have shocked the conscience of the nation. Doctors across the country have withdrawn non-essential services today (Saturday) and are providing only emergency and causality services,” the letter read.
It called for a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence, in addition to beefing up security protocols of all hospitals to the level of security provided at airports.
