Medical bodies condemn mob attack on protesting doctors in Kolkata

Strike continues for fourth day; doctor bodies call for protest march in Delhi

Medical bodies across India condemned the mob attack on protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, with doctors’ associations criticising authorities for not containing the violence in time.

This follows an incident where several unidentified miscreants entered the RG Kar premises shortly after midnight on Thursday, damaging emergency wards, outpatient sections, and a police outpost, while also attacking doctors protesting against the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor.

In a public statement issued after the attack, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) denounced the ‘hooligans’ who targeted protesting doctors and students and criticised the state government-run college and hospital for failing to maintain law and order.

“The authorities, through their negligence, allowed such a heinous crime to occur and have once again failed to maintain law and order while important CBI investigations are ongoing,” the IMA's statement read.

The medical body also called for an emergency meeting with its state branches on Thursday to decide on further action.

Similarly, the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), along with 32 resident doctors’ associations (RDAs) from prominent hospitals, continued their strike for the fourth consecutive day in response to the attack on doctors.

RDAs supporting the strike include those from the eight campuses of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) primarily in New Delhi, Patna, Jodhpur, central institutions such as the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, and the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER).

RDAs from the national capital’s Safdarjung Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital also continued the strike, along with state RDAs from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

FAIMA has urged all doctors to join them for a peaceful protest march in New Delhi on August 17.

Citing the unprovoked mob attack, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Associations of India (FORDA), which had previously called off its strike, announced that they will resume it, halting non-urgent elective services.

“We are working with all stakeholders and RDAs to develop a strategic plan of action. Further details will be shared as the situation evolves,” the body stated in its announcement.