Delhi Hospitals, Including AIIMS Begin Indefinite Strike Over Kolkata Doctor's Death; Elective Services Suspended

Residents doctors from major Delhi hospitals including AIIMS, RML and Safdarjung has begun indefinite strike to show solidarity with protesting doctors in Kolkata as they demand security and justice for the henious killing of a female doctor during her duty hours in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city.

All elective services in the concerned hospitals in Delhi have been suspended from 9 am on Monday. According to the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), during the indefinite strike, all outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres (OTs), and ward duties will be shut, but emergency services will continue to operate as usual, ensuring that urgent patient care remains unaffected.

The hospitals in Delhi who have announced their participation in this indefinite strike are -

Maulana Azad Medical College,

RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College,

VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital,

Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital,

Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital,

Institute of Human Behaviour,

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Allied Sciences (IHBAS),

Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College,

National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases Hospital

Contingency Plan By Hospitals Beginning Strike

The AIIMS Delhi administration has prepared a contingency plan to ensure critical and other patient care services do not get affected due to the indefinite strike. Their contingency plan was issued by AIIMS Delhi Director Dr M Srinivas which stated that emergency services will function normally as the resident doctors will "purportedly continue to work" in the emergency services as per their scheduled duties.

However, requisite consultation for emergency patients will be provided by the faculty-on-call of the clinical departments concerned supported by sponsored resident doctors, pool officers, resident doctors willing to work or research medical staff of the speciality department concerned, the document issued on Monday afternoon said.

The heads of different speciality departments have been directed to draw up appropriate plan or duty rosters to ensure timely consultation and treatment for emergency patients.

Meanwhile, the administration of the RML Hospital here, another Centre-run facility, also issued an order asking all HODs to submit an action plan of their respective departments in view of the strike.

"This plan should cover especially the OT services, OPDs, and ward areas," the order read, asking HODS to submit the contingency plans by 10 am.

"The HODs are also required to ensure that their entire faculty must be present in the department by 9 am daily," the order issued by Dr Ajay Shukla, the hospital's Medical Superintendent said.

What Did FORDA Demand?

FORDA on Monday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding nationwide halting of elective services in hospitals in solidarity with R.G. Kar Medical College residents- from today, 12th August.

In their letter, FORDA lists 5 demands - Expeditious Acceptance of Residents' Demands, Resignation of all the responsible authorities, which include Principal, MSVP, Dean, HOD of pulmonary medicine, ACP of RG Kar MC&H police outpost, who could not perform their duty of protecting the dignity and life of a woman who was in this case an on duty doctor, No Police Brutality, Swift Justice for the Deceased and Security Protocols for Healthcare Workers and formation of Expert committee.

FORDA General Secretary Dr Sarvesh Pandey told PTI, "We presented our demands to the Health Secretary, including the immediate removal of the principal of RG Kar Medical College, a CBI inquiry, a fast-track court (trial), and the formation of a committee to implement the Central Protection Act."

"As a mark of solidarity with our colleagues at RG Kar, we announce a nationwide suspension of elective services in hospitals starting Monday, August 12. This decision is not made lightly but is necessary to ensure that our voices are heard and that the demands for justice and safety are addressed without further delay," FORDA's statement issued on Sunday read.

AIIMS' Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) on Monday joined FORDA in its nationwide strike against the trainee doctor's rape and murder in Kolkata.

Dr Raghunandan Dixit, General Secretary of AIIMS RDA stated, "We also want adequate compensation to be provided to the bereaved family of the victim. The horror of this atrocity, occurring in a place meant to heal and save lives, is a grim reminder of the severe threat faced by those who serve our society selflessly."

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, the national council member of the Indian Medical Association's Junior Doctors Network, told PTI: "Unlike every time when the assault on doctors went unnoticed , the doctors nationwide won't stop this time unless justice is served and our demands are met."

"...FORDA has decided halting of elective health services across the nation which is supported by all the doctors and medical associations. At a personal level, we also request the doctors to wear black ribbons as a mark of solidarity in support of the victim who lost her life," Chauhan added.

In several hospitals, doctors were seen holding posters that say 'we want a safe environment to work' and raised slogans of 'we want justice.'

GTB Hospital RDA president Rajat Sharma said, "This is a matter of national concern and until we see concrete results, we will not back down. We will stand with our fellow students and offer our full support."

The Kolkata incident was 'heinous and unimaginable', Sharma added.

Referring to a recent killing of a person at GTB Hospital, he also pointed to security concerns at the hospital.

RDA members have also met with Health Secretary Apurva Chandra, where they called for a CBI inquiry into the incident.

The move comes in response to a call from the FORDA after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata while on duty.

The semi-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital on Thursday night.