Doctors' Bodies Differ On Calling Off Strike Over Kolkata Rape-Murder

Hours after stating that the strike which began after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata would continue, a key doctors' body announced on Tuesday night that the agitation has been called off. Many other organisations, including the resident doctors' association of the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, have, however, said that the strike will go on.

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) said the decision to call off the strike was taken after a meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda and that their demands had been met, including one seeking an assurance that the Central Healthcare Protection Act would be passed to curb attacks on medical personnel.

In a statement, FORDA said, "as requested", it will be part of a committee on the Central Healthcare Protection Act, work on which will start within 15 days. It said it had decided to call off the strike on Wednesday morning in the interest of patient welfare.  

Around 11 pm, soon after the FORDA statement, the health ministry posted on X that Mr Nadda has welcomed the organisation's decision and all their concerns regarding the safety of healthcare workers would be addressed.  

"Union Health Minister, Shri @JPNadda met with the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (@FordaIndia) delegation today.  He welcomed their decision to call off the strike in the public interest and assured them that the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will address all their concerns to ensure a safer and better work environment," the post said.

Differing with FORDA, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) said most of the resident doctors' associations (RDAs) are with it and would continue the strike along with FAIMA and AIIMS Delhi. It said a national RDA meeting was attended by over 90 representatives. 

In a post on X, the RDA of AIIMS said the strike would continue until they got a "complete assurance" about the safety of doctors through strict laws like the Central Healthcare Protection Act.

"The AIIMS RDA will continue their indefinite strike, including the suspension of academic activities, elective OPDs, ward services, and OT services. However, emergency services, ICUs and emergency OT will remain operational," the association posted on its handle.

"AIIMS RDA and other RDAs will continue the strike till we get complete assurance on safety and security of doctors nationwide through strict laws that is CPA (central protection act)," it added.

The Resident Doctors of Maharashtra (MARD) and Junior Doctors' Associations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh also said they would not call off the strike as did associations in AIIMS in Patna, Bhubaneswar, Rishikesh and Mangalagiri, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, PGI Chandigarh, JIPMER, SGPGI Lucknow, IMS BHU, ESIC Joka and KGMU Lucknow.

The Resident Doctors' Association of Safdarjung Hospital also said it would continue the strike. In a statement, it said that is no longer associated with FORDA and would hold a meeting at 9 am to discuss the plan of action. 

Demands

The strike began on Monday, three days after the body of a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee, who was working at Kolkata's renowned state government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was found inside a seminar hall in the institution. She was raped and murdered, and Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer working with the Kolkata Police, has been arrested for the crime.

Apart from sexual assault, the trainee doctor's post-mortem report revealed that several injuries were inflicted on her before she was smothered to death.

The doctors had demanded that the probe into the rape and murder be handed over to the CBI, which was met on Tuesday through a Calcutta High Court order. An assurance on the Act remained a hurdle, however, and FORDA had also posted around 6.30 pm that the strike would continue.

"No assurance on Central Healthcare Protection Act - No call off! OUR DEMANDS still stand incomplete," the post read.

The protests are taking place in several cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, and, as part of the strike, doctors had said all elective services would be halted. Patients were affected in many hospitals, including some in Uttar Pradesh, where videos emerged of them banging on the doors to get treatment as they had travelled from different cities. 

Comprehensive Framework

The Central Healthcare Protection Act has been a long-standing demand of doctors across the country. They have sought the introduction of a bill which provides a comprehensive framework as well as severe penalties for those who assault or intimidate doctors. 

Among the other inclusions in the bill, the doctors want swift investigation and prosecution of such cases and the setting up of committees in each hospital to tackle violence against medical professionals. 

While 19 states have enacted legislation to protect healthcare workers, beginning with Andhra Pradesh in 2007, the doctors have asked for a central Act to ensure uniformity as well as protection across the country. 

The demand was initially sparked by attacks on doctors by relatives of patients who alleged that they were not given proper healthcare and blamed poor outcomes on negligence by medical professionals.

Protests have taken place over the issue several times and, during the latest agitation, the doctors also asked for the setting up of fast-track courts to bring the guilty to book in cases of violence against healthcare professionals.