Doctors at Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), Delhi, launched a one-day hunger strike on Wednesday, expressing solidarity with junior doctors in West Bengal. The West Bengal medics are protesting the brutal rape and murder of a female colleague at RG Kar Medical College. The tragic event has sparked widespread unrest in the medical community.
Joining the protest, doctors from Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital donned black ribbons as a mark of mourning and support. The Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of AIIMS-Delhi also announced a candle march at 6 pm at JLN Stadium, showing unified discontent over the issue.
Aparna Setia, president of MAMC's RDA, stated that their hunger strike would run from 9 am to 4 pm. She said the protest is symbolic, as the doctors continue to work but abstain from eating or drinking during these hours.
"We stand with the junior doctors in West Bengal, who have been on hunger strike since early October," Setia told PTI.
The GTB doctors emphasized in a statement that the black ribbons represent their shared grief. They believe the medical community cannot remain silent in the face of such violence.
In the larger context, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) expressed frustration with the West Bengal government’s handling of the situation. A statement from FAIMA read, "The government’s lack of sensitivity toward the junior doctors’ concerns is deeply disappointing. We stand firmly with the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front in their fight for justice, safety, and dignity."
The protest in West Bengal began on October 5, when seven junior doctors started a fast-unto-death, backed by senior colleagues. The hunger strike followed an earlier protest triggered by the August 9 rape and murder incident at RG Kar Medical College. The doctors had initially ended their protest on September 21 after assurances from the state government.
However, the medics resumed their strike on October 1 after being attacked by a patient's family at the College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital. This attack reignited their demands for increased safety and justice for their fallen colleague.
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