Delhi doctors on strike for a day to express solidarity with protesting medicos in West Bengal; emergency services to stay open

New Delhi: Healthcare services at private and government hospitals in the national capital are likely to be affected on Friday with scores of doctors deciding to boycott work for a day to express solidarity with their protesting colleagues in Kolkata . [caption id=“attachment_6811141” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at SSKM Hospital during the strike of junior doctors, in Kolkata, Thursday, 13 June, 2019. PTI[/caption] There will be a full shutdown of all outpatient departments (OPDs), routine operation theatre services and ward visits, except emergency services in the hospitals, several medical bodies of the city have said. Resident doctors at the AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital that have worked with bandages on their heads in a symbolic protest on Thursday and called for the suspension of all non-emergency services, including OPD, on 14 June to protest against the violence in Kolkata. Several resident doctors also held a protest at Jantar Mantar against the brutal attack. Condemning the violence in Bengal, the AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) has urged all the RDAs across the country to join the token strike. “There is a complete breakdown of law and order, with reports of mobs attacking doctor hostels with weapons. The government has failed to provide protection and justice to doctors. “The AIIMS RDA condemns this in words and in spirit. Residents across the country are deeply hurt by these turn of events,” the RDA said in a statement. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has asked members of all its state branches to stage protests and wear black badges on Friday. In a communique to all its state presidents and secretaries, the IMA has also asked them to organise demonstrations in front of the district collectors’ offices from 10 am to 12 noon on Friday, 14 June, and hand over a memorandum, addressed to the prime minister, to the collectors in every district. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) observed a “Black Day” on Thursday , 13 June, against the brutal attack and has declared a statewide absolute shutdown on Friday. The DMA Executive stated that the organisation is ready for an agitation to press for strong legislation and strict action against violence at hospitals. Simultaneously, all the local branches and individual members of the IMA will send an appeal to the prime minister and the Union Home Minister, demanding a Central Act on violence against doctors and in hospitals. The IMA has also urged its state branches to communicate the information to the government doctors’ organisations of the states and request for their support and issue press statements to this effect. “The gruesome incident in NRS Medical College, Kolkata, is of barbaric nature. IMA condemns the violence perpetrated on a young doctor. The entire medical fraternity expresses solidarity with the resident doctors who are on strike. The IMA headquarters hereby declares All India Protest Day on Friday,” an IMA statement said. Junior doctors in West Bengal are on a strike since Tuesday after two of their colleagues were attacked and seriously injured at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. In the wake of the strike, the AIIMS has instituted contingency measures to take care of the admitted patients, including those in the ICUs and wards. Only follow-up patients with a prior appointment will be registered in OPD while registration of new patients will be done as per availability of the faculty, it said. Diagnostic services will also function in a restricted manner, it added. The memo asked heads of all clinical departments will make arrangements for round-the-clock availability of doctors of concerned speciality either from research staff or by faculty members. “Under no circumstances, any inpatient ward will function without physical availability of doctors of concerned speciality,” it said.