Hospitals to close on Saturday

Imphal: Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared to close all hospitals in the nation in protest against ‘brutal rape and murder’ of a young post graduate of chest medicine in R G Kar Medica College, Kolkata in the early hours of August 9.

“This has shocked the medical fraternity and the nation alike,” the medical association said in a press release on Thursday.

Ever since the Resident doctors has been on strike.

Protests as well as candle marches have been held across the country by IMA as well. The crime situation was handled shabbily by the college authorities and the police investigations stalled after the first day, the release said.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court asked the state police to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation while expressing discontent with the investigation so far. They also flagged the possibility of destruction of evidence if the state police continued with their investigation.

The hospital was vandalized by a large crowd on Thursday, which destroyed various sections of the hospital including the area where the victim was found. The medical students who were on protest were attacked as well, IMA said.

Doctors especially women are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the concerned authorities to the needs of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, it added.

Subsequent to the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of the Independence Day, Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am Sunday, it said.

“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.”