Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Independent medical professionals as well as those employed by many private hospitals in Goa went on strike on Saturday morning at six in support of the countrywide demonstration against the rape and killing of a colleague in Kolkata.
All of the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) members nationwide are urged to join the strike, which is scheduled to go until six in the morning on Sunday.
Dr. Sandesh Chodankar, the president of IMA Goa, stated that the demonstration began at 6 a.m. on Saturday and will last for the entire day.
He stated that because doctors working in emergency and trauma units have not joined the agitation, emergency services in private hospitals will not be impacted.
He stated that on Saturday, the Old Goa Medical College and Hospital complex in the capital city will be the site of a silent protest march organized by the IMA members.
The Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) senior and junior resident physicians have been on strike since Friday afternoon.
The Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) had earlier staged a protest in front of the GMCH building in Bambolim, calling for the prosecution of a colleague who had reportedly been sexually assaulted and killed on the grounds of the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
According to the GARD, their strike will go until Saturday night. After that, they plan to decide whether to extend it or not based on the stance taken by their parent organization in Delhi.
The IMA called for a comprehensive improvement in the working and living conditions for resident doctors, highlighting issues such as the 36-hour shifts and inadequate rest areas that contributed to the tragedy at RG Kar hospital.
The IMA urged the implementation of a central act incorporating the 2023 amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. This would enhance existing protections in 25 states, with the association also suggesting that an ordinance similar to the one used during the Covid-19 pandemic could be effective.
The IMA demanded a thorough and professional investigation into the crime, with a defined timeframe for justice, as well as the identification and punishment of those responsible for vandalising Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital on the night of August 14.
The association proposed that hospital security measures be upgraded to match airport standards. This includes declaring hospitals as safe zones, implementing mandatory security features, installing CCTVs, and deploying security personnel.
The IMA sought a fair and dignified compensation for the victim’s family, reflecting the severity of the crime.
