FAIMA joins protest over rape, murder of doctor at Indian hospital

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), an apex body of Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDAs), called for a nationwide shutdown of elective services in hospitals from today, in solidarity with the medics’ ongoing protest in West Bengal state against the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata.
The decision was taken at a meeting of FAIMA on Saturday. The body, however, requested all RDAs to ensure that emergency services remain functional 24/7, he said.
FAIMA said it stands in full solidarity with the junior doctors of West Bengal.
“After exhaustive discussions, we have unanimously decided that it is time to unite on a national scale. We had given an ultimatum for escalation to the chief minister of West Bengal in a previous letter.
However, no satisfactory action has been seen, compelling us to request all RDAs and medical associations across the country to join us in our call for a shutdown of elective services across the country, commencing Monday,” the body said in a release today.
The junior doctors have been on fast-unto-death since October 5 demanding justice for the rape and murder of the medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital besides addressing other issues.
Three fasting doctors have been hospitalised after their health condition deteriorated.
As the “fast-unto-death” by the junior doctors of West Bengal entered the ninth day today as people also held “symbolic fast” in various parts of the state to express solidarity with the agitators.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant wrote to the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD), requesting them to call off their proposed demonstration on October 15, stating that the stir was coinciding with the state government’s previously announced ‘Durga Pujo Carnival’ to be organized on the same day.
He also invited them for a meeting at state health department headquarters on Monday to discuss their demands.
Meanwhile, several eminent personalities on Sunday urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take every possible step to acknowledge the demands of junior doctors with due importance to end the impasse.
Thirty eminent personalities including film-maker Aparna Sen, actor Riddhi Sen, theatre personality-actor Kaushik Sen and film-makers Srijit Mukherjee, and Kamaleswar Mukherjee in an open letter to Mamata also urged the junior doctors to withdraw their fast-unto-death.