“Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: Central Government Appeals to Doctors to End Strike, Ensures Their Safety”

“Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: Today at 6 am, the nationwide strike began which was called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Many doctors across the country stand in support of the five demands presented by the organization to the government and have joined the 24-hour strike.

"All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted.”

“The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors," read an IMA press release.

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“We are asking for a very fundamental right, the right to life... We will be writing to the PM. The time is ripe for his intervention... Certainly, that (PM Modi mentioning women's safety in his August 15 speech) is one aspect that shows that he is concerned.”

“It will be very appropriate to write to the prime minister. IMA will be doing that," IMA National President Dr Asokan told ANI.

The Five Demands by IMA

• The IMA has requested a Central Act that incorporates the 2023 amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the draft Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. This is because it strengthens the existing 25 state legislations due to the government's reluctance to acknowledge violence against doctors and hospitals.
• For all the hospitals requested stringent security protocols which should be as same as those existing at airports and declare the hospitals as a safe zone.
• Improvement in the working and living conditions of doctors.
• Give attention and professional investigation of the Kolkata doctor rape.
• Compensation in an appropriate and dignified way to the victim's family.

Also Read: Kolkata Doctor’s Rape-Murder: Hospital Informs Family of Suicide in First Call

West Bengal govt cancels doctors' transfer, “today, news is being published about the transfer of 42 doctors. Our West Bengal government has almost 24 medical colleges. Apart from that, there are many specialized institutes in which there are more than 6000 doctors. In West Bengal, their promotional exercise of Medical Education Service, their routine transfer exercise is a very long process.”

“This process started 2 months before this incident. Its approval was also done a lot of days before this incident. But we have to do a lot of checking on it. Therefore, it is possible that its publication got delayed...But looking at the situation here right now, we have to keep the service completely normal everywhere.”

“Therefore, we have cancelled this order right now. After this, any further decision about it will be taken after a few days,” says Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Principal Secretary, Health, West Bengal.

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