JIPMER resident doctors hold pen-down strike, human chain in solidarity with Kolkata protesting doctors
Puducherry: In solidarity with the junior doctors in Bengal who have been protesting for the last 38 days since the gruesome alleged rape and murder of the PG trainee at RG Kar hospital came to light on August 9, the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Resident Doctors Association held a one hour pen down strike yesterday.
As a part of the nationwide movement on 16th September 2024 (One day before the next Supreme Court hearing), the association suspended the OPD services for one hour and held a rally inside the campus with human chain protests outside OPD and throughout the campus involving all the Residents, students, and other healthcare workers.
The protest was joined by healthcare professionals who were not on emergency duty from 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM inside the JIPMER campus and the human chain formation was conducted from the JIPMER Main Entrance from 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
Also read- Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Protesting doctors defy SC order, to continue strike
This comes after the association expressed deep grief and sorrow regarding the ongoing situation in West Bengal, where resident doctors struggled to endure challenges due to the previous unsuccessful bids to have an open discussion with the CM. However, the Medical Dialogues team recently reported that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a two-hour meeting with 42 delegations of the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front yesterday, during which the Chief Minister agreed to the bulk of the demands put forward by the doctors.
In a press release addressing the director of JIPMER, the association stated, "We are closely monitoring the events at the National level concerning the R.G. Kar hospital Rape and murder case. Our sisters and brothers of West Bengal have shown indomitable spirit and courage in the fight against injustice. Salute and hats off to their dedication and commitment. We JIPMER RDA express our solidarity with the decision taken by the All India Residents and Junior Doctors' Joint Action Forum (AIJAF) in the online meeting held on 13th September 2024."
The association launched the protest to raise awareness about the ongoing struggles of doctors in West Bengal, who have been fighting for their rights for over a month.
"We hereby invite JFA, JSA, JRNA, and other healthcare worker associations in JIPMER to show their solidarity for this noble cause," added the press release.
