Kolkata (West Bengal): Amidst the ongoing protest by the medical fraternity in Kolkata, West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said he had called West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss the matter but has not yet received a response from her.
"I have tried to contact the Chief Minister, I have called her, till this moment there is no response from her, if she calls on me then we will discuss the matter. I have called her, let her come," said Tripathi. The protest by the medical fraternity against the assault on intern doctors in Kolkata spiralled throughout the country with doctors from several states showing their solidarity even as the Indian Medical Association sought a central law to check violence against doctors.
The IMA also issued a call for shutting of non-emergency services across hospitals in the country on June 17 to express their protest, which began on June 10 after two interns were assaulted by a mob in NRS college in Kolkata. From Jaipur to Hyderabad and Guwahati to Madurai, the doctors took to the streets to register their protest. Doctors at Jaipuria hospital in Jaipur were seen carrying out their duty wearing black armbands on Friday as a mark of protest over violence against doctors in West Bengal.
"This is not a work boycott. The patients are getting their treatment. We are only trying to register our protest against such violence. Even Indian Medical Association (IMA) has condemned the incident in West Bengal," Dr Vidya Prakash told ANI. Doctors from various medical institutions in Telangana too joined the nationwide protest demanding justice and protection to them in the wake of the recent assault on doctors in Kolkata. Doctors of NIMS Hyderabad gathered on the road in sympathy with the striking doctors of Kolkata.
Speaking to ANI, a doctor said "We demand justice for what has happened with the junior doctors in West Bengal. If doctors are not safe then how come patients will be safe. All we need is safety for the saviours." Doctors at AIIMS and Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi too joined the protest. Doctors at Ganga Ram Hospital on Friday shut OPD facility in solidarity with the striking West Bengal medicos, who are protesting against violence against some doctors in Kolkata.
The doctors of AIIMS Delhi meanwhile halted health services leading to inconvenience to thousands of patients. The Resident Doctors' Association, Safdarjung Hospital also took out a protest march in the morning. Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) joined the nationwide protest on Friday to demand protection for doctors.
Speaking to ANI, Prashant Chaudhary, President of MARD at Scion hospital, said: "The incident was clearly a targeted assault. This has now become a law and order issue. We express solidarity to the seriously injured doctors. We will abstain from providing our routine services from 8 am to 5 pm today, but at the same time we will make sure to inform the administration so that Outpatient Department treatment (OPD), Operation Theatres (OT) and wards keep running." The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday called for a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services including OPDs on June 17 to protest against the assault on doctors. It also called for formulation of a Central law to ensure the protection of doctors in Hospitals against violence.
