Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: IMA announces withdrawal of services for 24 hrs

The Indian Medical Association has announced a 24hour nationwide withdrawal of nonemergency services from 6 am on August 17 to protest against the Kolkata doctor rapemurder case at the staterun R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the subsequent vandalism at the facility reported news agency PTIEssential services will be maintained and casualty wards operational the medical body said in a statement issued late on Thursday nightOutpatient departments OPD will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted The withdrawal is across all sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing services the IMA said reported PTISubsequent to the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day Wednesday night the Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday 17082024 to 6 am Sunday 18082024 for 24 hours the statement said reported PTIDoctors especially women are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession It is for authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the authorities concerned to the needs of doctors nurses and other healthcare workers it said reported PTIThe call for the nationwide withdrawal of nonemergency medical services was taken after a meeting with state branches of the IMAThe IMA on Thursday condemned the vandalism at the Kolkata hospital where doctors have been protesting since August 9 evening following the Kolkata doctor rapemurder caseEarlier in the day the medical association said Authorities who by their negligence had allowed such a heinous crime to happen have once again failed to maintain law and order when an allimportant CBI investigation is going on reported PTISuch vandalism with impunity points to anarchy and the breaking down of law and order The IMA condemns this mindless violence and is apprehensive of loss of crucial evidence it said in a statement reported PTIAccording to the Kolkata Police nearly 40 people masquerading as protestors entered the hospital premises vandalised property and pelted stones at police personnel prompting the force to lob tear gas shells to disperse the crowd reported PTIThe miscreants carrying sticks bricks and rods vandalised the Emergency Ward its nursing station and medicine store besides a section of the Out Patients Department OPD at the hospital police said Several CCTV cameras in and around the area were also destroyedA police vehicle was overturned and several twowheelers damaged by the vandals Some police personnel were also injuredThe probe into the Kolkata doctor rapemurder case was transferred from the Kolkata Police to the CBI on orders of the Calcutta High CourtWith inputs from PTI