OPD services hit as doctors protest across the country demanding justice and safety measures

• Out-patient services were affected across the country as doctors announced an indefinite strike.
• The strike has been called in the aftermath of the brutal rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College.
• The protestors have asked for improved safety measures and a CBI probe into the incident.

Doctors across India continued to protest on Tuesday demanding better safety measures after the brutal rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. Doctors across the country called for an indefinite strike.

The strike has affected out-patient departments (OPDs), with patients being forced to return without any treatment.

Junior doctors across West Bengal continued to cease work demanding justice for the victim. The strike affected healthcare services as long queues of patients were seen at OPDs of all government hospitals since early Tuesday morning as senior doctors were substituting their junior counterparts to address the rush.

The agitating junior doctors, who have been pressing for a magisterial probe into the killing of the woman doctor, on Tuesday set a deadline of August 14 for the Kolkata Police to complete their investigation.

"The ceasework and protest will continue till our demands are met. We have been very clear about our demands. We want a judicial probe into the incident," a protesting junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital said.

"Why do they need a deadline of Sunday? We are asking the police to complete their investigation by Wednesday," he added.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after paying a visit to the parents of the deceased on Monday, gave a deadline of August 18 to Kolkata Police to solve the case, failing which she said she would hand over the matter to the CBI.

Junior doctors at the state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Tuesday started a 'pen-down' agitation by boycotting OPD services and elective surgeries in protest.

"Around 200 doctors have joined the agitation and senior resident doctors have also supported our stir. Our protest excludes emergency services as we do not want any patient in need to suffer," Ankit Kumar, president of the Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) at RIMS, told PTI.

Doctors and medical students held a protest at AIIMS Delhi on Tuesday after the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) called for a nationwide shutdown of OPD services from Tuesday in solidarity.

Dr Indra Shekhar Prasad, President, Resident Doctors Association AIIMS Delhi, said, "This is such a serious incident. A woman who was on duty was sexually assaulted and murdered brutally. If such incidents happen at workplaces, how will the women work? We have several demands regarding safety concerns. We want a CBI probe into this, till then we will continue our protest."

Doctors and medical students at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital also protested and demanded a CBI probe into the sexual assault and murder of a woman trainee doctor.

Doctors and medical students staged a protest in Mumbai and Nagpur also demanding justice for the woman post-graduate trainee doctor.

In Nagpur doctors and medical students staged a protest in front of OPD of Govt Medical College & Hospital (GMCH).

IMA has written to Union Minister JP Nadda demanding a detailed inquiry into the conditions enabling the crime as well as the steps to improve the safety of doctors especially women in the workplace.

With inputs from agencies.

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