New Delhi: Resident doctors at major hospitals here, including the AIIMS and Safdarjung, remained on strike on Wednesday over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, disrupting elective services for the third consecutive day.
Frustrated by the lack of consultation with the Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) of several hospitals, members expressed their disappointment and accused the Federation of Resident Doctors' Associations (FORDA), which called off its strike, of backstabbing the fraternity.
Following a meeting with Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday night, FORDA decided to end the strike.
Doctors at the GTB Hospital, who were part of the delegation, initially called off their indefinite strike on Wednesday morning but later resumed it in support of the RDAs.
The RDAs of major hospitals including AIIMS, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia, Indira Gandhi Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College continued the strike for a third day on the trot, shutting down OPDs, operation theatres, and wards.
Most of the Resident Doctors' Associations were unhappy with the FORDA decision and demanded reconsideration of their decision to call off the strike, as no written assurance had been given from the ministry.
Later, during a meeting, Aviral Mathur, RDA president of Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), was replaced by Aparna Setia.
After taking charge, Setia told PTI, "We want a written assurance from the ministry. Until then, we will continue our strike as we cannot rely on verbal assurances."
On the third day, the resident doctors came in large numbers and protested in their hospital premises, holding banners and chanting slogans for justice for the victim.
Dr Ayush Raj, General Secretary of the RDA at Safdarjung Hospital, said, "We are on strike and will continue it as our demands have not been met. We have already mentioned that we want a written assurance from the ministry."
Speaking about FORDA's decision to call off the strike, he said, "We were on the same platform with the same demands initially, but now, as the doctors' association body has called off the strike without receiving written acceptance of our demands, we will continue our strike without them."
He said that on Thursday, which is the Independence Day, all RDA members of the hospital will conduct a meeting in the afternoon, adding that they also have the support of the faculty and the nursing department.
Dr Dhruv Chauhan, a health activist and National Council member of the Indian Medical Association's Junior Doctors' Network, told PTI, "The entire country is in a state of healthcare collapse, yet the demands of doctors for a central healthcare protection act and immediate intervention in the RG Kar incident have not been addressed. We have seen that construction and renovation were taking place at the site where the rape and murder occurred, which clearly suggests an attempt to manipulate the incident."
"Doctors nationwide are questioning what is so difficult about enacting a law for our security. The strike will continue until all demands are formally met and not just given verbal assurance," Chauhan said.
Meanwhile, the Faculty Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences held a candle march on Wednesday evening, along with residents and students of AIIMS.
The Faculty Association of AIIMS also urged all faculty members to join the protest with the resident doctors, according to a statement released by the association.
A postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata while on duty last week.
The semi-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found on August 9 morning in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital.