Healthcare services in Meghalaya remained shut today as doctors joined the nationwide protest called by the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) in protest against the rape-murder of a post-graduate trainee at a Kolkata hospital.
Except for emergencies, elective services such as outpatient departments, planned surgeries, and lab procedures in hospitals were affected due to the shutdown, which began this morning.
The 24 hour shut down will end 6 am tomorrow.
Out-patient services at Bethany, Nazareth, Woodland and Supercare hospitals as well as North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) stood in solidarity with the IMA and the entire medical fraternity by withdrawing services.
NEIGRIHMS Director Prof. (Dr.) Nalin Mehta has condemned the crime and said that the issue is not about one incident but the protection of doctors and healthcare workers who serve 24×7 at odd hours and under trying circumstances.
He said that the shocking rape and murder of the doctor has shamed the nation.
NEIGRIHMS Faculty Association (NFA) said, “Such acts of extreme violence against doctors are not only inhumane but also very shameful. Doctors deserve respect, protection, and gratitude for their unwavering service. We demand swift action and justice for the deceased doctor and her family.”
The NFA expressed solidarity with the nationwide striking resident doctors, emphasising the need to stop such incidents, but regrettably, extreme violence against doctors has become a common occurrence.
Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of NEIGRIHMS said it stands in solidarity with the victim’s family and their protest will remain peaceful and non-violent as emergency services will not be interrupted.
The RDA has called for a transparent investigation into the heinous crime and that justice should be served to the family. It also wants an urgent passage of the Central Protection Act for Healthcare Workers to enhance workplace safety.
The NEIGRIHMS Nurses Association (NNA) has also condemned the murder of both the trainee doctor in Kolkata and a Nursing Officer in Uttarakhand. Similarly, the NEIGRIHMS Students’ Council and Faculty Association echoed the demands, calling for immediate justice and the implementation of the Act.
“This unified outcry from NEIGRIHMS underscores the urgent need for stronger protections for healthcare professionals. The organizations hope their collective stand will lead to swift government action and the implementation of measures to prevent such tragedies in the future,” the institute said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote to the prime minister, putting forward its five demands.
All essential services are being maintained and casualty wards manned, the IMA said in a statement.
“The 36-hour shift that the victim was in and the lack of safe spaces to rest and adequate restrooms warrant thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors,” it added.
It has also demanded that hospitals be declared as safe zones, with the first step being mandatory security entitlements.
“Security protocols at hospitals should be no less than at airports. Declaring hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step. CCTV cameras, deployment of security personnel and the protocols can follow,” the IMA said.
It has demanded a central act incorporating the 2020 amendments in the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the draft Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, saying it would strengthen the existing 25 state legislations.
The doctors’ body also called for meticulous and professional investigation of the crime in a specific timeframe and rendering of justice, besides identifying those involved in the vandalism and exemplary punishment for those involved.
There was vandalism on August 15 by a large crowd, which destroyed various sections of the facility, including where the victim was found, the IMA mentioned.
It also sought appropriate and dignified compensation to the bereaved family.
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 on campuses, the IMA said.
“The RG Kar incident has brought to the fore the two dimensions of violence in the hospital: A crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women and the hooliganism that is unleashed due to lack of an organised security protocol. The crime and the vandalism have shocked the conscience of the nation,” it said.
It also appreciated the prime minister’s remarks about the safety of women in his Independence Day address.
“We appeal to you for your benign intervention at this stage. This will give confidence to not only women doctors but also to every woman in workplace,” the doctors’ body said.
The IMA said that 60 per cent of Indian doctors were women.
This percentage is as high as 68 per cent in the dental profession, 75 per cent in physiotherapy and 85 per cent in nursing. All healthcare professionals deserve peaceful ambience, safety and security at the workplace, it added.
“We are appealing for your benign intervention to ensure appropriate measures to meet our demands,” the IMA said.
