Kolkata rape and murder: Agra, Aligarh doctors join nationwide strike; health services disrupted
A human chain was formed on MG Road, the lifeline of Agra. Doctors at SN Medical College and Hospital were joined by members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest.
Health services remained affected in the Braj region due to doctors going on strike for 24 hours to protest the rape and killing of a doctor in Kolkata. Doctors in Agra and Aligarh took to the streets on Saturday to register their protest.
A human chain was formed on MG Road, the lifeline of Agra. Doctors at SN Medical College and Hospital were joined by members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest. They all, in one voice, demanded strict and speedy action against those guilty. Doctors expressed anger over the way the matter was being handled by the state police.
“Doctors, including women medicos, work long hours at hospitals, and if we are denied complete security, how can we work? In this Kolkata rape and murder case, the shocking factor is that the state government is not coming clean, and its police appear to be damaging evidence. We are puzzled as to whom we should lodge a complaint,” said Dr Sandhya Jain, a consulting pathologist in Agra participating in the protest.
Aastha Sharma, an intern, sought a CBI probe into the matter.
This protest was in response to a call for a 24-hour nationwide strike of medical services by the IMA. The strike began at 6 am on Saturday and will continue until 6 am on Sunday, during which doctors decided not to attend OPD or perform surgeries.
Many pathologists and radiologists also joined the strike, but for the convenience of patients, emergency services continued. Junior doctors at SN Medical College abstained from OPD, and the impact was also seen at the District Hospital in Agra.
The strike had a major impact in Aligarh, and patients faced difficulties on Saturday. Private practitioners also joined the protest in Aligarh and expressed solidarity with the call given by the IMA. Doctors gathered at a hospital on Ramghat Road and lodged their protest.
The impact was felt at JN Medical College and Hospital of Aligarh Muslim University, where no major surgeries were performed. The OPD operated for a limited period, and those coming for ultrasounds were given future dates.