Kodagu Doctors Join Nationwide Strike to Protest Kolkata Doctor's Rape-Murder

The IMA, in its official statement, reiterated that essential services, including emergency care, would be maintained throughout the strike. Image for representation purposes only.

Madikeri: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest the tragic rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. In response, all hospitals and clinics in Kodagu will shut down non-essential services from 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, to 6 a.m. on Sunday, August 18.

Dr. Shyam Appanna, the President of IMA’s Kodagu unit, confirmed that essential services would continue during the strike, with casualty wards remaining operational. However, outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective surgeries in hospitals and clinics across the district will be suspended for the duration of the protest.

“We appeal to the public to support this strike as a show of solidarity with the victim and to demand justice,” Dr. Appanna urged. He emphasized that while essential services would not be disrupted, the strike is necessary to draw attention to the need for better protection and justice for medical professionals.

The IMA, in its official statement, reiterated that essential services, including emergency care, would be maintained throughout the strike. “The withdrawal is across all sectors where modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA seeks the nation’s sympathy and support for this just cause,” the statement read.

The strike comes in the wake of the horrifying incident at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was found murdered on August 9, 2024. Reports alleged that the doctor was also sexually assaulted. 

The situation at the hospital escalated earlier this week when, on Thursday at midnight, chaos ensued as miscreants vandalized several departments of the hospital. The Emergency department, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), and various other facilities, including male wards and bathrooms, were damaged. CCTV cameras were destroyed, and the nursing station, medicine store, and parts of the outpatient department were also targeted.

The unrest at the hospital led to a severe security lapse, with police officers reportedly taking refuge inside bathrooms and seeking assistance from hospital staff to escape the violence. The widespread vandalism has added to the outrage among medical professionals across the country.

The Calcutta High Court has transferred the investigation into the incident to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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