In a powerful show of outrage and solidarity, major government hospitals across Delhi will indefinitely suspend all elective services starting Monday, in response to the brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor in Kolkata.
The strike, which is indefinite, aims to demand immediate action and protection for healthcare workers. Doctors are calling for an immediate and transparent investigation, with severe punishment for those responsible.
On Sunday, several government hospitals in Delhi announced the suspension of outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres (OTs), and ward duties beginning Monday morning. This move follows a call from the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College while on duty. The 32-year-old woman’s semi-naked body was discovered in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in Kolkata on Thursday night.
Resident doctors’ associations (RDA) at Maulana Azad Medical College, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, and GTB Hospital announced the suspension of their elective services.
FORDA president Dr Aviral Mathur stressed the importance of prioritizing the safety of doctors so they can perform their essential work without fear.
“We can no longer remain silent as our safety is jeopardized. The recent horrific rape and murder of a fellow doctor on hospital grounds is the final straw,” Dr Mathur stated.
“We are beginning an indefinite strike to demand immediate action and protection for all healthcare workers. Our ability to care for patients depends on ensuring our own safety,” he added.
Dr Mathur explained that the indefinite strike, coordinated with other doctor associations in the national capital, will commence tomorrow morning.
Dr. Bharani Kumar, president of the RDA at Delhi’s VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, voiced deep concern over the Kolkata incident.
“We are profoundly distressed by this heinous crime and demand a swift, transparent investigation with severe punishment for those responsible,” Dr Kumar said.
“The government must quickly implement the ‘Central Protection Act for Doctors’ and strengthen security measures in hospitals nationwide, including installing CCTV cameras in high-risk areas. Today it’s Bengal; tomorrow, it could be Delhi or any other part of the country,” he added.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya RDA president Dr Vipin K Madhogarhia expressed full support for the pursuit of justice in this tragic case.
“As a mark of solidarity with our colleagues at RG Kar, we are announcing a nationwide suspension of elective services in hospitals starting Monday, August 12. This decision was not made lightly but is necessary to ensure that our voices are heard and that the demands for justice and safety are addressed without delay,” the statement read.
On Saturday, several resident doctors’ associations held a candlelight march, calling for an immediate and thorough investigation, as well as a CBI inquiry into the incident.
On Saturday, the Kolkata Police arrested the accused under sections 64 (rape) and 103 (murder) of the BNS and brought him before Sealdah court, which remanded him to police custody until August 23. (With inputs from PTI)
