PROTEST BY DOCTORS CRIPPLE GOVT HOSPITALS

Rape-murder of Kolkata doctor triggers nation-wide strike

Resident doctors at government hospitals across the country held protests Monday over the recent rape-murder of a postgraduate trainee in Kolkata, with those in West Bengal and Delhi going on an indefinite strike that hit OPD services and non-emergency surgeries.

The move comes in response to a call from the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) which said the "strike won't stop unless justice is served and our demands are met".

According to the FORDA, during the indefinite strike, outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres, and ward duties will be shut, but emergency services will continue to operate as usual.

In the national capital, resident doctors from multiple hospitals, including centrally-run facilities AIIMS, RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, began strike in the morning, causing hardships to patients who visited out-patient departments of the medical facilities only to be returned without any consultation.

In West Bengal, junior doctors, interns, and postgraduate trainees at government medical establishments across the state vowed to continue their agitation, now in its fourth day, until the culprits are brought to justice.