The Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a nationwide closure of non-emergency medical services for 24 hours starting at 6 am on August 17, in protest against the alleged rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The decision comes amid escalating tensions following the incident and the subsequent vandalism at the hospital.
The IMA, in a late-night statement on Thursday, clarified that essential services would continue to operate, with casualty wards remaining open. However, outpatient departments (OPDs) will be shut, and elective surgeries will be postponed during the strike.
The IMA made it clear that the strike would affect all sectors where modern medicine doctors are practicing.
"The brutal crime at R G Kar Medical College, followed by the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day, has left the medical fraternity shaken. The IMA, therefore, declares a nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors from 6 am on Saturday, August 17, to 6 am Sunday, August 18," the statement read.
The association underscored the vulnerability of doctors, particularly women, to violence in their workplaces. The IMA urged authorities to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of healthcare professionals within hospital premises.
"The physical assaults and heinous crimes against doctors are direct consequences of the indifference and insensitivity of the authorities concerned. It is their responsibility to protect doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers," the statement continued.
The decision to go on strike was reached after extensive consultations with the IMA's state branches. The IMA also condemned the acts of vandalism at R G Kar Medical College, where doctors have been protesting since the evening of August 9 following the alleged incident.
Earlier on Thursday, the IMA expressed its dismay at the authorities' failure to prevent the crime and maintain law and order during the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. "Such acts of vandalism with impunity indicate a breakdown of law and order.
The IMA is deeply concerned that crucial evidence might be lost due to this mindless violence," the statement added.
According to the Kolkata Police, nearly 40 individuals, disguised as protestors, stormed the hospital premises, causing extensive damage. The miscreants vandalized the Emergency Ward, nursing station, medicine store, and a section of the OPD. CCTV cameras were also destroyed in the chaos.
Police reports indicate that the rioters overturned a police vehicle, damaged several two-wheelers, and injured some police personnel in the process. The police had to resort to using tear gas to disperse the mob.
The investigation into the trainee doctor's death was transferred from the Kolkata Police to the CBI following an order from the Calcutta High Court. The move came amidst growing concerns over the handling of the case and the preservation of evidence in the face of ongoing unrest at the hospital.
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