Kolkata Doctor Death Case: AIIMS Medicos To Start OPD? Here's What RDA Announced Amid Protests

Kolkata doctor death: AIIMS RDA announced its next move after talks with officials from Union Health Ministry did not reach a consensus.

AIIMS RDA announced to continue its strike against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Source : PTI

Resident doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi announced to continue their strike against the rape-murder of a postgraduate trainee medical student at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The move was announced after the government's assurance on Saturday to form legislation to boost the safety of healthcare professionals failed to quell protests. 

As part of the protest, the AIIMS RDA announced to continue halting academic activities, elective OPDs, ward and OT services while maintaining emergency services, ICUs, emergency procedures, and emergency OT. 

They however said that the resident doctors will be available to provide elective OPD services outside Nirman Bhavan in Delhi — where the Union Health Ministry office is situated — from Monday, August 19.  

Resident doctors of AIIMS and other Delhi Hospitals will be providing free OPD services on the road in front of the Health Ministry at Nirman Bhawan from 19th August, till we are assured of adequate security in hospitals through a Central Protection Act: Resident Doctors… pic.twitter.com/F48QQSKBmQ

— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2024

"As discussed with the Action Committee for Central Protection Act and the general body of RDA AIIMS, it was unanimously decided to continue the strike, as our demands remain unaddressed," said the AIIMS RDA in a press release. 

"Resident doctors will be available for providing Elective OPD services of around 36 specialities Including Medicine, Surgery, Obs&Gynae, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics and others) to patients outside Nirman Bhawan. Emergency services will continue as before at our hospitals," it said further. 

OPD services remained affected throughout the last week as Indian Medical Association called a 24-hour nationwide strike against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital. 

The association also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in realising its five demands including a central law to check violence against healthcare personnel and declaring hospitals safe zones with mandatory security entitlements.

On Saturday, Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), IMA and resident doctors' associations of government medical colleges and hospitals of Delhi met the Union health minister in the wake of the Kolkata incident. 

The Union Health Ministry assured that representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee and urged the medicos to resume their duties in the larger public interest amid growing cases of malaria and dengue. 

The IMA said it is studying the statement released by the ministry while the AIIMS RDA said similar panels have been formed in the past without any significant progress or the passage of relevant legislation.