To continue with their protest against the gruesome rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor and the attack on Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital. The Resident doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other Delhi hospitals have announced a unique ‘OPD’ protest.
In a press release issued by the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) on 18 August, the doctors announced that they would provide OPD services from 11 a.m. on Monday, August 19, on the road in front of Nirman Bhawan in Delhi, where the Union Health Ministry office is situated.
In a press statement released on Sunday, RDA AIIMS stated, “Resident doctors will be available for providing elective OPD services of around 36 specialities (including medicine, surgery, Obs&Gynae, paediatrics, ophthalmology, Orthopedics and others) to patients outside Nirman Bhawan. Emergency services will continue as before at our hospitals.”
This move was taken as their demands remained unaddressed. The decision was taken unanimously in consultation with the Action Committee for the Central Protection Act and the general body of RDA AIIMS.
The release further stated that this was done to “provide the patient care services in the nation’s interest and as per our Hippocratic oath” and “to highlight the lack of security of healthcare professionals nationwide.”
They further urged “the government to accept our plea for an urgent central ordinance for the safety and security of healthcare workers and institutes”. They requested the authorities “to allow for the same and provide the necessary arrangements for the elective outpatient.
