Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Select Mumbai private hospitals to halt OPD services in protest

Doctors and medical students register their protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Friday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Outpatient services at some private facilities in the city are expected to be disrupted for 24 hours starting at 6 am on Saturday, though emergency care will remain available, as the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a nationwide withdrawal in response to the attack on RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The attack took place as doctors were protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on the hospital premises. So far, 19 have been arrested by state police in connection with the incident, though the number of perpetrators is believed to be much more. A representative from Jaslok hospital confirmed that the facility will shut down routine outpatient services in accordance with the IMA's call but will keep emergency services operational. "Patients who visit the hospital will be referred to emergency services," the spokesperson said.

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Bandra's Holy Family Hospital will also suspend routine operations. There are likely more hospitals that will follow the same. "Private hospitals typically do not respond to such protest calls due to a focus on profits, but this time, some private facilities are with us. The sentiment in the medical fraternity is that if it can happen in Kolkata, it can happen anywhere," said Dr Shivkumar Utture, an office-bearer of the IMA in Mumbai. Not all hospitals are fully complying with this call for a partial strike. "Our doctors will be working tomorrow, but as a show of solidarity, they will be wearing black armbands," said Dr Santosh Shetty, CEO of Kokilaben Hospital.

After being on partial strike since the beginning of the week and holding several protests within public hospital premises, city doctors gathered at Azad Maidan on Friday to demand a central law that would protect doctors from attacks. The demonstration included doctors from the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) and the IMA, as well as participants from the city's only private medical college, K J Somaiya. "Attacks on doctors also happen at private facilities. Just this morning, a patient's family was shouting and threatening us. There need to be greater consequences," said a junior doctor from K J Somaiya who attended the protest.

At Somaiya hospital, about 90 resident doctors, interns, and junior doctors will be on strike on Saturday. Routine outpatient services at the hospital will be affected, though emergency and casualty departments will continue to function. "Senior doctors will be available for outpatient care, but if the situation doesn't improve, they may even join the strike in the coming days. Our hospital sees about 500 patients daily for routine outpatient services, and we estimate that our absence will impact at least half of them," said Miet Shah, a third-year resident at the hospital.