Kolkata rape-murder case: Private, govt hospitals to keep OPDs shut on August 17 in Madhya Pradesh as doctors join protest

Bhopal: All OPDs in government and private hospitals across Madhya Pradesh will not operate for 24 hours on August 17 to protest the brutal rape and murder of a trainee medical student in Kolkata.

Confirming the strike called by doctors on Saturday, Dr Anup Hajela, the chief MP chapter of Association of Health Care Providers of India, said thatonly emergency services will remain operational in several key hospitals, including Akshay Heart, National Hospital, Hajela Hospital, Gastro Care, and Siddhanta Hospital,in Bhopal.

"Routine OPD services will be completely suspended," Dr Hajela said, highlighting the unified stance of the medical community in Bhopal.

On Friday, over 250 junior doctors at Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal have ceased work, staging a protest in response to the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, authorities at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) have taken decisive action to ensure that critical healthcare services remain operational. The Dean of GMC, D Kavita N. Singh, has cancelled all scheduled leave for doctors and issued orders for them to remain on duty 24 hours a day. 

The protests are not confined to Bhopal; junior doctors across state including at MY Hospital in Indore, GRMC in Gwalior, Sanjay Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Rewa, Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur, Sagar Medical College and others have also joined the protest, limiting their services to emergency cases only.

PILs in Jabalpur HC against doctors' strike

Two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have been filed in the Jabalpur High Court, challenging the legality of the doctors' strike.

According to reports, the PILs argue that the strike is unlawful and detrimental to public health. In a parallel legal battle, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Jabalpur High Court challenging the legality of the ongoing strike.

Advocate Abhishek Pandey, who reportedly filed the PIL, argued that the Junior Doctors Association's decision to engage in an indefinite strike violates a previous High Court directive that classifies medical facilities as essential services.

"Such strikes cause significant hardships for patients, and under the court's directive, doctors are prohibited from participating in any form of strike," Pandey said.