Junior doctors across Gujarat protest Kolkata rape and murder case, withdraw non-emergency services on Friday

Called by the All Gujarat Junior Doctors Association (JDA), in a letter issued on the evening of August 15, the junior and senior residents of 15 medical colleges turned out in a show of support against the crime, its investigation, and the overall demand for safety of doctors, at their respective hospitals across the state.

The JDAs across Gujarat will refrain from all non-emergency services on Aug 16 (Friday) following the Indian Medical Association’s calls for nationwide 24-hour service withdrawal on Aug 17-18.

Dr Dhaval Gameti, President of the JDA at BJ Medical College which is attached to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, told The Indian Express, “We had earlier carried out a solidarity March and candlelight protest against the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.

But now the situation has deteriorated severely wherein the students there are being attacked and are living in abject fear. There appears to be destruction of evidence and the government is not able to protect the doctors and give justice to the family. We will continue our protest till the situation improves.”

Notably, this call from the JDAs across Gujarat and the subsequent protest comes a day before the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is to hold nationwide protests.

In a statement, also issued on August 15, the IMA said, “Doctors, especially women are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the concerned authorities to the needs of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.”

Giving the call to action, the IMA statement read, “Subsequent to the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of the Independence Day, Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday August 17 to 6 am Sunday August 18 for 24 hours. All essential services will be maintained.

Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors.”