New Delhi: Despite the Supreme Court’s appeal to protesting doctors on Tuesday to return to work, resident doctors from various medical institutions staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, marking the 10th day of their indefinite strike.
On Wednesday, the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) too approached the Supreme Court, filing an urgent application for intervention and directions regarding the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.
A doctor involved in the demonstration felt that now was the moment to take to the streets to seek justice, which they hadn’t received within the hospital walls. The doctor mentioned that numerous incidents had gone unreported in the past and that the strike would persist until the doctors’ demand for a central law to protect health workers was met. The doctor emphasised, however, that patient care remained a priority, which is why emergency services continued to function.
A doctor from Lady Hardinge Medical College expressed gratitude to the apex court for acknowledging the nationwide significance on the issue. However, she claimed that the strike wouldn’t be called off until a resolution was reached. She said that mere assurances about safety were insufficient. There is an urgent need for concrete measures to ensure the well-being and security of healthcare workers, the doctor said. So, rather than assurances, she said legislation to provide comprehensive safeguards to health workers needed to be enacted. The onus of responding to their demands and taking decisive steps to address the concerns of the medical community was on govt, she said.The protest saw the participation of resident doctors from several medical institutions in the city, including Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College and AIIMS.
As major resident doctors’ associations united to voice their grievances and demand action, the demonstrators chanted slogans such as ‘Nahi chalegi nahi chalegi tanashahi nahi chalegi’, ‘Doshi ko sazaa do’, and ‘Shauk nahin, majboori hai; ye hadtal zaroori hai’.
A statement issued by a team from FAIMA said their petition to the Supreme Court underlined the “dire need for enhanced security and better working conditions for doctors, especially women, who face constant threats in their line of duty.”
The key interventions and directions requested by FAIMA include the installation of CCTV cameras in sensitive hospital areas, compliance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, including a 24×7 distress call facility and representation of resident doctors in the national task force constituted by the Supreme Court to address real-time safety issues and formulate comprehensive guidelines.
Besides, the protesters wanted implementation of urgent measures such as equal bed-to-doctor ratios and secure resting areas until the national task force’s recommendations were fully enacted. They also sought a stipulated timeline for the enforcement of the task force’s recommendations to ensure doctors could work in a safe and dignified environment.
