Docs refuse to relent, say will continue strike to push for Protection Act

NEW DELHI: Agitated resident and junior doctors will continue their nationwide indefinite strike, which has entered its 10th day on Wednesday, to push the Central government to enact a law to protect healthcare professionals.

The decision to continue the strike was taken after the Indian Medical Association, which is the largest organisation of healthcare professions in the country with over 4 lakh members, called a meeting of all resident doctors associations (RDAs), who have shunned work since the brutal rape-murder of a Kolkata woman doctor, to jointly chalk out future plans.

According to Dr Dhruv Chauhan, national council coordinator of the Indian Medical Association-Junior Doctors Network, who attended the IMA meeting at its headquarters in Delhi, the decision of all the RDAs is to continue the strike.

“All the RDAs have decided to continue the strike. We don’t want assurances, we want an ordinance. All the RDAs decided that strong action was needed to awaken this government. We don’t know what the government’s problem is in bringing a Central law for the protection of doctors. It’s the need of the hour,” he told this newspaper.