Resident doctors of Delhi AIIMS and other hospitals in the national capital have announced a unique ‘OPD’ protest from today against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor and the attack on Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital by a mob of miscreants. Delhi AIIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) has said that doctors will start their protest from today by providing OPD services on the road in front of Nirman Bhawan (the office of the Union Health Ministry).
AIIMS RDA has said in its statement, ‘A discussion was held with the Action Committee for Central Protection Act and the General Body of RDA AIIMS, in which it has been unanimously decided to continue the strike. This includes stopping educational activities, elective OPD, ward and OT services, ICU, emergency procedures and emergency OT. Because our demands were not heeded. However, resident doctors will be available to provide alternative OPD services to patients outside Nirman Bhawan, adding that emergency services in the hospitals will continue as before.
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The official notification said, ‘We will not stop patient care service in the interest of the country and in accordance with our Hippocratic Oath (oath taken by doctors to maintain their ethical standards and professional obligations). We want to highlight the lack of protection for medical professionals across the country. Our demand from the government is to immediately bring Central Protection Act through an ordinance to ensure the safety of doctors, health workers and medical institutions. We are requesting the government to accept our petition.
RDA has requested the government to provide necessary arrangements for alternative OPD service outside the Union Health Ministry (Nirman Bhawan). Earlier, the 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) ended at 6 am on Sunday. However, doctors continue to fight for justice for the 31-year-old PG trainee doctor. The protesting doctors are demanding some immediate reforms, including regulation of the working hours of resident doctors, improvement in hostel facilities and enactment of a central law to protect against workplace violence.