Assam doctors come out in support of IMA’s 24-hr nationwide strike

Guwahati: The Junior Doctors’ Association of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) has decided to support the 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to shut down non-essential medical services including OPDs across the nation.

The nationwide strike effective from 6 am on Monday to 6 am on Tuesday has been called by the IMA condemning the assault on doctors in Kolkata’s NRS Hospital earlier last week. The apex body demanded for amends in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to protect medical practitioners.

A press release by the junior doctor’s association of GMCH said that they have decided to boycott non-essential services for the mentioned period, and, “the resident doctors and internees posted in various departments shall stage a peaceful protest in the GMCH hospital campus during this period”.

However, all emergency services shall be fully functional even as other services remain suspended during the strike.

In a statement, the IMA said it has a zero-tolerance policy against violence on doctors and healthcare establishments and demanded that a national law against violence on hospitals to be brought in urgently.

Also Read: Hundreds suffer as doctors’ strike paralyses OPD services in Assam

Further, it demanded that as per law, a person should be imprisoned for a minimum of seven years for hospital violence.

“Violence in hospitals will adversely affect the patient care. Institutions will be reluctant to take up complicated and risky patients which will affect critical care. Threat of violence increases the stress levels of health care workers. Sound judgment regarding patient care will be compromised in such situations. Patient Care and safety will depend on peaceful ambience in the hospitals,” the IMA said in the press release.

Putting the onus on the state, the IMA said, “Hospitals should be declared as safe zones and provision of appropriate security should be the responsibility of the state.”