Indian Medical Association to hold nationwide protest; all non-essential services will be closed

Indian Medical Association will stage a 24-hour-long nationwide protest on Monday

This comes at a time when doctors from various institutions across the country have been demanding security following the incident where two doctors were attacked over alleged negligence at a hospital in Kolkata. 

According to the report, all non-essential services including Outpatient Departments (OPDs) will be closed starting from 6 am tomorrow. 

IMA will also stage a sit-in at its headquarters in Delhi starting 10 am.

The impasse at the state-run medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal entered the sixth day on Sunday, even as the agitating doctors asserted that they were open to talks with the government.

Earlier, the agitators had insisted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visit the city's NRS Medical College and Hospital, the epicentre of the agitation.

After an internal meeting late on Saturday, the doctors, who had turned down an invite for a closed-door meeting with Banerjee at the state secretariat, mellowed down and stated that they were ready to hold a dialogue in any form, but the venue of the meeting would be decided later.

During a press conference at the state secretariat on Saturday, Banerjee urged the agitators to resume work and said her government had accepted all of their demands.

She also stressed that a group of doctors had met her and expressed their willingness to join duty, a claim vehemently refuted by the striking doctors.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory, seeking a report on the ongoing stir and stating that it had received a number of representations from the medical fraternity from different parts of the country for their safety and security in view of the strike in West Bengal.

(With inputs from agencies)