Agartala: August 16: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide shutdown of medical services in response to the incident at RG Kar Medical College. The shutdown will commence at 6 AM on Saturday and continue until 6 AM the following day. The IMA has urged both government and private doctors to participate in this protest.
According to the IMA’s statement, a postgraduate student at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College was tragically raped and murdered on August 9th. This incident has led to ongoing strikes by resident doctors. In addition to the strikes, the IMA has organized candlelight marches across the country to express solidarity and demand justice. The college authorities’ handling of the situation has been described as extremely harsh.
The statement also highlighted that on August 13th, the Calcutta High Court expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation and directed the state police to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Recently, there have been reports of vandalism in various hospital departments and attacks on protesting medical students. The IMA attributes these acts of violence and crime to the perceived indifference and insensitivity of the authorities towards healthcare professionals.
As a result, the IMA has called for a nationwide shutdown of medical services. During this period, all outpatient department (OPD) services and non-emergency surgeries will be suspended. The IMA has appealed to all doctors, both in government and private sectors, to join the shutdown in protest.
