Chhattisgarh Doctors Protest Kolkata Rape Case, Patient Dies Amidst Statewide OPD Shutdown
Raipur
Protests by doctors continue in Chhattisgarh against the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata. A female patient admitted to Korba Medical College reportedly died due to a lack of treatment while doctors were on strike. According to her family, she was not attended to immediately after her admission to the hospital, which led to her death.
It should be noted that on Saturday, OPD services in all government and private hospitals were shut. The Indian Medical Association had decided to close OPD services for one day. However, emergency services remained operational.
According to the Indian Medical Association, OPDs in hospitals will remain closed from 6 AM on Saturday, August 17, until 6 AM on Sunday. Patients arriving for general check-ups will not receive treatment. However, emergency and casualty services will continue during these 24 hours.
Doctors and staff were seen holding posters with various slogans regarding the Kolkata rape case at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur. Similarly, doctors organized a bike rally in Rajnandgaon.
Doctors in Bilaspur held a protest rally under the banner of the IMA, stopping work during the demonstration. The rally started from the IMA Hall at CMD Chowk and passed through the main city routes, reaching SIMS, where doctors informed the administration of their demands and urged action.
The Ayurveda Hospital in Bilaspur, which is not part of the strike, witnessed more crowds compared to other days.
Around 300 doctors are protesting outside after shutting down the OPD at Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital.
Patients at Bilaspur’s CIMS faced difficulties, with no doctors attending to them. The OPD, which serves 1,500 patients daily, is completely shut down. The Indian Medical Association claims that 151 large and small hospitals and nursing homes in the district have ceased operations, along with over 500 private clinics where patients have been waiting since morning.
In several hospitals in Sarguja, OPD services are closed except for emergency services. A candle march was planned for the evening.
In line with the Indian Medical Association’s directive, resident and intern doctors at RIMS Hospital have supported the strike. OPD and non-essential health services will be closed for 24 hours, with only emergency services remaining operational.
