Health services in Rajasthan affected due to doctors' strike

JaipurL Health services in Rajasthan were affected on Saturday due to the Indian Medical Association's call for a one-day strike in protest against the rape and murder of a resident doctor in West Bengal.

Doctors boycotted OPD services in almost all government hospitals in Rajasthan though emergency services continued. A representative of IMA Jaipur said that after the call for a national-level strike by the IMA, doctors in all districts of Rajasthan, including Jaipur, boycotted work on Saturday.

This boycott has been done in support of the ongoing movement after the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata.

Dr Sushil Bhati, Superintendent of Sawai Mansingh Hospital here, said all government doctors boycotted work for two hours on Saturday in support of the strike of resident doctors.

He said doctors of all departments of the hospital boycotted work from 8 am to 10 am on Saturday. However, emergency services were running. He said that during the boycott, OPD patients had to face difficulties but later, all the government doctors in the hospital returned to work.

In the Chittorgarh district, medical services were completely shut. Doctors demanded dismissal of the West Bengal government. The nursing staff working in the district headquarters and surrounding areas also supported this bandh and worked wearing black bands and supported the protest.

Chief Medical Officer Doctor Dinesh Vaishnav said the incident that happened in West Bengal is condemnable, where instead of taking action against the people who committed such a heinous crime, the government is trying to "suppress" the matter.

He demanded the West Bengal government be dismissed immediately and action taken against whoever is guilty.

Similar protests were witnessed in Barmer, where doctors boycotted work and protested demanding security for resident doctors working in the country.

In Jalore, all the doctors are on strike for 24 hours beginning 6 am on Saturday on the call of the IMA. Only, emergency patients were attended.