Nearly four days after a junior doctor was brutally attacked by a relative of a patient who died on June 10, doctors have been protesting all over the country.
Yesterday, the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) on Thursday called for a statewide complete medical bandh on 14 June to protest against the recent assault on Kolkata resident doctors.
The DMA condemned the attack and expressed solidarity to the injured doctors.
The Indian Medical Association had declared “All India Protest Day” on Friday against the incident.
Services are badly affected due to the scarcity of doctors, who refuse to call their strike off.
All the OPDs are shut, and only emergency cases are taken in.
CM Mamata Banerjee visited SSKM Hospital
While the incident happened at the NRS hospital, Mamata Banerjee visited SSKM Hospital in the city and threatened the protesting doctors to end the agitation by 2 PM (on Thursday) or face action. She was met with slogans of “we want justice”. Even several hours after her warning the protests refuse to die down.
Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP and CP(M) for triggering these protests.”I condemn the agitation. The junior doctors’ strike is a conspiracy by the CPI(M) and the BJP,” she said.
Mamata also ordered the police to clear the premises and only allow patients to stay back.
The Chief Minister also claimed that “outsiders” had entered the college to protest and the doctors “hurled abuses” at her when she had gone to visit.
Blaming BJP Chief Amit Shah responsible for the situation, she said, “The BJP, with help from the CPI(M), is indulging in Hindu-Muslim politics. I am shocked to see their love affair,” Banerjee said and alleged, “BJP chief Amit Shah is encouraging his party cadre to create communal tension and run propaganda on Facebook.”
BJP leader Mukul Roy has called Mamata Banerjee “Hitler”.
Doctor’s demands
The doctors, who got more upset with her negligent reaction rather than take action against the culprit, met West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi and kept forth their demands.
“We will continue with our agitation till our demands are fulfilled. Our demands are simple… proper security with armed policemen at all hospitals, arrest of culprits involved in the NRS attack on Saturday under non-bailable sections”, a member of the delegation said.
“We did not expect the chief minister to say what she did,” he added.
Protests all over the country
Meanwhile, protests have spread all across the country. All the metro cities have started their protests in support of the injured doctors in Kolkata.
Mumbai
Doctors at Mumbai’s Sion Hospital said they will be observing a silent protest on Friday to protest against the mob assault on Kolkata doctors. Prashant Choudhary, President MARD, Sion Hospital, said, “A mob assaulted doctors on duty at a hospital in West Bengal. When a targeted attack like this happens, it becomes a law and order issue. Today, we are doing a silent protest over the incident.”
Doctors at the JJ Hospital in Mumbai also have joined the wave, and are demonstrating a protest.
Delhi
Members of Resident Doctors’ Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) work wearing helmets & bandages, as a mark of protest against “worsening of violence against medical doctors in West Bengal.
Delhi: Members of Resident Doctors’ Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) work wearing helmets & bandages, as a mark of protest against “worsening of violence against medical doctors in West Bengal.” pic.twitter.com/Fgrv6Jtjdq
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2019
Hyderabad
Doctors at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences hold protest march over violence against doctors at West Bengal’s NRS Medical College & Hospital.
Thiruvananthapuram
The call for strike reached down south as members of the Indian Medical Association in Thiruvananthapuram join a protest against attacks on doctors.
Kerala: Members of Indian Medical Association, Trivandrum hold protest over violence against doctors in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/aOWGbqXxlx
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2019
Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan appeals to doctors to resume services
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan appeals to the doctors to resume services and carry out a symbolic protest instead as he assures that the government is committed to the protection of the doctors.
Union Minister for Health Dr Harsh Vardhan has condemned the attacks and said that he has requested CM Mamata Banerjee to not make this an issue of prestige.
“I appeal to West Bengal CM to not make this an issue of prestige. She gave the doctors an ultimatum, as a result, they got angry and went on strike. Today, I will write to Mamata Banerjee ji and will also try to speak to her on this issue,” he said.
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