Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Resident Doctors’ Associations of Governmental Medical Colleges & Hospitals of Delhi met the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi following the incident against a resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The associations have put forward their demands regarding their concerns about the safety of healthcare workers at the workplace. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has heard the demands of the representatives and assured them of all possible efforts to ensure the safety of healthcare workers.
The representatives of all the associations were informed that the government is well aware of the situation and is responding to their demands. It was noted that 26 states have already passed laws to protect healthcare workers. In view of the concerns raised by the associations, the ministry assured them that a committee will be set up to suggest all possible measures to ensure the safety of healthcare workers.
Representatives of all stakeholders, including state governments, are invited to share their proposals with the Committee.
The ministry also called on the protesting doctors to resume their work in the interest of the public and in view of the increasing number of dengue and malaria cases.
Meanwhile, Indian Medical Association (IMA) national president Dr Asokan on Saturday said the time was ripe for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the rape and murder case of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, adding that they would write to the Prime Minister.
“Yes, we will write to the Prime Minister. We will write to the Prime Minister. The time is ripe for his intervention… This (that PM Modi mentioned women’s safety in his August 15 speech) is certainly an aspect that shows that he is concerned. It would be very appropriate to write to the Prime Minister. IMA will do that,” Asokan told ANI.
“We have met with the Minister of Health. Now it is up to the government to react. They will now have the political will to do so. Because what we are asking for is not something that is beyond their capabilities. We are asking for a very basic right, the right to life,” he added.
Asokan said that doctors from all sectors were protesting against the rape and murder case of a junior doctor in Kolkata.
“The response from all parts of the country is overwhelming. Doctors are united against this injustice. The protest is there, it is taking care of the emergency services and the injured. The medical profession is united across the country. In all sectors, whether private, government or corporate, doctors are protesting. We are giving international attention to this issue because it is about women’s safety,” he said.
“We expect a gesture from the government because this is a very fundamental issue of security, especially the security of women. Not only the security of our doctors, but of the entire working class of women. Public opinion in the country and the momentum it has unleashed have given rise to a movement for greater security,” added the IMA President.
Following the announcement of a nationwide strike over the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder incident by the IMA, doctors at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi staged a protest march on the campus on Saturday. The doctors held placards and shouted slogans such as “We want justice”.
IMA General Secretary Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak said they were confident that the government would pass the law they demanded.
“Our junior doctors and interns held a Maha rally yesterday. 4,000-5,000 doctors participated in it… Everyone is agitated and demanding security. They are demanding the CPA, the Central Protection Act… We have met Union Minister JP Nadda and will continue to meet other authorities. They are optimistic but there is nothing concrete from them yet… We hope they will pass the law we are demanding,” he said.
On August 9, a junior doctor was raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity.
The incident sparked massive protests. On Wednesday, the protest site and RG Kar hospital premises were vandalised by a mob, forcing security personnel to disperse the crowd.
