Union Health Ministry assures Doctors of all possible efforts to ensure safety

The representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Resident Doctors' Associations of Governmental Medical Colleges & Hospitals of Delhi have met the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare at New Delhi in the aftermath of the incident against a resident doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata.

The Associations have put forth their demands regarding their concern over the safety and security of healthcare workers at the workplace. The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has heard the demands of the representatives and assured them of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals.

The representatives of all the Associations were informed that the Government is well aware of the situation and is sensitive to their demands. It was observed that 26 States have already passed legislation for the protection of healthcare workers in their respective states. In view of the concerns expressed by the Associations, the Ministry assured them of constituting a Committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. 

Representatives of all stakeholders including the State Governments will be invited to share their suggestions with the Committee.

The Ministry also requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of Dengue and Malaria.

Meanwhile, Indian Medical Association (IMA) National President Dr Asokan on Saturday said that the time is ripe for PM Narendra Modi's intervention into the rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata adding that they will be writing to the Prime Minister.

"Yes, we'll write to PM. We will be writing to the PM. The time is ripe for his intervention... Certainly, that (PM Modi mentioning women's safety in his August 15 speech) is one aspect that shows that he is concerned. It will be very appropriate to write to the prime minister. IMA will be doing that," Asokan told ANI.

"We did meet the Health Minister. Now it's for the government to respond. They will have the political will to respond now. Because what we have asked for is not something beyond them. We are asking for a very fundamental right, the right to life," he added.

Asokan said that doctors all across the sectors are protesting against the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

"The response is overwhelming from every corner of the country. Doctors stand united against this injustice. The protest is there, taking care of the emergency services and the casualties. The medical profession has stood united across the country. Across all the sectors whether it's private, government, or corporate doctors are in protest. We are paying international attention to this issue because this involves the issue of the safety of women," he said.

"We are expecting a gesture from the government because this is a very basic question of safety, especially the safety of women. Not only of our doctors but of the entire working women class. Public opinion in the country and the momentum that it has created, it has become a movement for safety," IMA President added.

Following the announcement of a nationwide strike over the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder incident by the IMA, doctors at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi staged a protest march inside the campus on Saturday. The doctors were seen holding posters and raising slogans of "We want justice".

IMA Secretary General Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak said they are hopeful that the government will bring the law they are demanding.

"Our junior and resident doctors carried out a maha rally yesterday. 4000-5000 doctors joined it... Everyone is agitated and they are demanding safety. They are demanding CPA, Central Protection Act... We met Union Minister JP Nadda and we will keep meeting other authorities. They are positive but there is nothing concrete from them yet... We are hopeful that they will bring the law that we are demanding," he said.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity.

The incident triggered massive protests. On Wednesday, the protest ground and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalised by a mob, forcing the security personnel to disperse the crowd.