In protest against the murder of a female doctor in Kolkata, junior doctors in the state are on strike today. The Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association (KMPGA), the organization of PG doctors in Kerala, has announced the strike.
Both OPD services and ward duties are being boycotted. However, emergency services have been exempted from the strike. The strike will also affect previously scheduled surgeries.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to hold a nationwide strike tomorrow. The strike will start at 6 AM on August 17, 2024, and continue until 6 AM on August 18, 2024. Emergency services will be exempted from the strike.
The All India Federation of Government Doctors’ Associations will observe a national day of mourning tomorrow.
Last Friday, a female PG doctor from RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata was brutally raped and murdered. The young woman, who was resting in the seminar hall after her duty at the hospital, was attacked by civic volunteer Sanjay Ram.
Yesterday, the Kolkata High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the murder. Meanwhile, the parents of the victim have come forward, alleging that more than one person was involved in the crime.
Doctors at RG Kar Medical College have been protesting for days against the murder.
Recently, there was an attack on the protest site late at night. The attackers destroyed the protest tent and assaulted the demonstrators, injuring 15 police officers in the process.
The police have arrested nine individuals involved in the attack, but their identities have not been disclosed. Opposition leaders in West Bengal have alleged that the attack was planned to destroy crucial evidence related to the murder.