In a powerful display of solidarity and protest against the tragic murder of a postgraduate medical student in Kolkata, doctors across Tamil Nadu on Saturday canceled outpatient department (OPD) services and elective surgeries in several hospitals. The strike, which saw the participation of over 28,000 clinics and 7,000 private hospitals, aimed to highlight the growing concerns about the safety of healthcare workers and demand better security measures within medical institutions.
While emergency services and life-saving procedures like dialysis and chemotherapy continued uninterrupted, the strike served as a stark reminder of the sense of vulnerability felt by doctors in the wake of the recent tragedy. The Indian Medical Association – Tamil Nadu State Branch (IMA-TNSB) President, Dr K M Abul Hasan, stated that the strike was a crucial step towards ensuring the safety of all healthcare workers. He emphasized the emotional toll the incident had taken on the medical community, with doctors, students, and parents highlighting the unsafe and unhygienic working conditions they face.
The impact of the strike was evident in government hospitals across the state, including Chennai’s prominent Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Stanley Medical College and Hospital, and Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital. OPD services in these hospitals were suspended for an hour, from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM, allowing doctors to participate in rallies, candlelight marches, and demonstrations on the hospital premises. The sense of solidarity was palpable, with most doctors donning black badges to symbolize their grief and demand for action.
Despite the strike, government hospitals maintained essential services. However, a section of postgraduate medical students continued to strike, advocating for stronger safety measures. The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNDGA) President, Dr K Senthil, leading a protest in Madurai, emphasized that the strike aimed to express solidarity with their counterparts nationwide without disrupting critical healthcare services.
The protest extended beyond government hospitals. Doctors and medical professionals at the ESIC Hospital in K K Nagar, Chennai, canceled all non-emergency services, while doctors and medical students at the KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College (KAPVGMC), affiliated with the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Trichy, organized a silent procession from the MGR statue to the collector’s office in Trichy City.
In the aftermath of the tragic incident, doctors’ associations are now calling for a Central Act to provide comprehensive protection for healthcare workers. Dr VN Alagavenkatesan, Secretary of the IMA, Madurai, highlighted the urgent need to improve security measures in hospitals, advocating for the mandatory provision of secure resting rooms with toilets for women and the installation of CCTV surveillance systems.
The IMA has also voiced its demand for the abolishment of the bond policy, which often forces women doctors to serve in peripheral hospitals with inadequate security measures and limited access to CCTV cameras or security personnel. The association believes this policy exacerbates the vulnerability of women doctors working in remote locations, making them more susceptible to potential threats.
