The resident doctors of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences Delhi (AIIMS) and RML Hospital have decided to call off their strike on Thursday, August 22, in the interest of public service and welfare following the Supreme Court's decision.
RDA, AIIMS said that they appreciate the Supreme Court's direction to take cognisance of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital case in Kolkata, which addresses the issue of the safety and security of healthcare workers across the country.
The apex court also assured that there would be no action against protesting resident doctors after they resumed their duties. Emergency services in the hospital continued throughout the protest, but routine outpatient department (OPD) services were affected since the protest began on August 12.
The incident, which has triggered nationwide protest among the doctors, involved the brutal assault and murder of a junior female doctor. Her body was discovered with severe injury marks on August 9 inside the seminar hall of a state-run hospital and college in Kolkata.
AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) issued a statement saying, "We are resuming duties following the Supreme Court's appeal and assurances and intervention in the RG Kar incident and safety for doctors. We commend the Court's action and call for adherence to its directives. Patient care remains our top priority."
"We are doctors. We provide public service and we want to continue our main service. We never want to go on a strike. But the incident at RG Kar was so gruesome and it exposed the safety and security lapses in our health system. So, we had to go on a strike. This was not easy for us. Strike was more difficult for us than duty. But Supreme Court gave direction and formed a task force. We appreciate this and hope that there will be justice in RG Kar incident. We will resume our duties at the earliest," RDA AIIMS Delhi president Dr Indra Shekhar Prasad said.
Meanwhile, the RDA of RML Hospital issued a statement saying, "In view of the developments with respect to our demands and our concerns being addressed by the Supreme Court, we hereby declare the strike to be withheld. We hereby have decided to resume all our duties. The recent mishappening at RG Kar Medical College highlighted the sorry state in which residents are working in our country. We have requested residents to resume services from 8 AM onwards, 23rd August."