Doctors at AIIMS, RML, & other hospitals in Capital call off strike
New Delhi: In a huge relief to patients, doctors at major hospitals, including AIIMS, RML, LNJP and Maulana Azad Medical College in the national capital, ended their 11-day strike on Thursday soon after the Supreme Court made an impassioned appeal to the protesting medics to resume work and directed the Centre to provide safety measures
to them.
A tough-talking apex court termed “extremely disturbing” the Kolkata Police’s delay in registering the unnatural death of the woman doctor raped and killed at the RG Kar Hospital.
The court, however, said judges and doctors cannot go on a strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty.
Following the court’s appeal and directions about safety of doctors, resident doctors’ association (RDA) of several hospitals ended the strike that commenced on August 12.
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), an umbrella body of doctors, RDAs of centre-run facilities such as AIIMS, RML and Lady Hardinge Medical College, and Delhi government-run LNJP, Maulana Azad Medical College, GTB Hospital and Indira Gandhi Hospital also announced their decision to call off the protest.
In a post on X, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), a major body of RDAs across the country, announced its decision to call off the strike, saying the doctors will resume their duty.
“We are thankful to all RDAs, media personnel, various medical and non-medical associations and above all, our patients, for their support and understanding,” it said.
The decision to call off the strike comes as a major relief to patients who were struggling to get regular medical care due to the closure of outpatient department (OPD) in government hospitals even as emergency services were functioning as usual.
FAIMA announced the end of their strike following positive directions from the Chief Justice of India. This decision came after several RDAs also called off their strikes due to the Supreme Court’s intervention over the Kolkata incident.
The assault and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar sparked nationwide protests, with doctors demanding a CBI investigation, a Central Protection Act, and improved security.
The Court issued directions for doctors’ safety and urged them to resume duties, emphasising that “justice and medicine” must continue. It further directed no coercive action against them.
