Resident doctors across the country have gone on an indefinite strike against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The medicos, who announced to continue their strike on Tuesday after failed talks with officials from the Union health ministry have shut down OPD and other non-emergency services, leaving patients helpless.


Two patients at the trauma centre of RG Kar MCH and Murshidabad Medical College passed away on Monday. The patient, who died at RG Kar was Suman Sarkar, while the one to have lost his life in Murshidabad was identified as Piyarul Sheikh. 


Sarkar's family alleged that although he was admitted to the hospital on Friday, he did not receive any treatment on Saturday and Sunday. Similarly, Piyarul Sheikh died in Murshidabad after he was allegedly denied treatment for bleeding from his mouth due to the closure of outpatient services. Piyarul's family said there was no doctor in the OPD, reported Anand Bazar Online.


Piyarul's uncle Mohammad Baruhanuddin said, "We took him to the emergency department first. There, Piyarul was given an injection and saline. We were then asked to see a doctor in the outpatient department... But there was no doctor in the outpatient department.”



In Delhi, Ram Manohar Lohiya hospital swarmed with patients for the OPD services on usual days, witnessed chaos on Tuesday as patients missed their scheduled appointments due to the strike. 






"It's taking a lot of time," a patient sitting outside the hospital told ABP News. "We have been sitting here with our children since morning without having anything to eat or drink," she added.


Another patient said her doctor had told her to come next week with all the medical tests done. "I got my MRI done for Rs 5,000 and had to show my report today but the (security) guard said some other doctor is there so you will have to wait," she told ABP News. 


Resident doctors across the country announced an indefinite strike against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate medical student at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital. 


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"This is such a serious incident,'  said Indra Shekhar Prasad, president of the resident doctors association at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. 


"A woman who was on duty was sexually assaulted and murdered brutally...if such incidents happen at workplaces, how will the women work," he said, demanding a CBI probe. 


Resident doctors at several other prestigious medical colleges in various cities also staged demonstrations including King George Medical College, Lucknow; Sawai Man Singh Medical College, Jaipur, JJ Hospital, Mumbai among others.