Patients bear brunt as FAIMA calls for nationwide shutdown of OPD services in aftermath of woman trainee doctor’s death

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 13 (ANI): Patients are bearing the repercussions as the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has called for a nationwide shutdown of OPD services from Tuesday as a protest against sexual assault and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on August 9.

The Outpatient Department (OPD) at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata was shut as patients arrived for medical and health services and stood in a queue amid uncertainty over services.

Sheikh Shahzad who came to avail OPD services said, “We have not been told anything so far. I asked the security guard here but he said that he is unable to tell us anything. We are standing here for 2 hours now. We have no information. The administration is not telling us anything. We are being asked for our prescription to enter the campus.”

Another patient standing in the queue said that he had been standing there for over 2 hours.

The patient said, “have been standing here for 2 hours. We don’t know if the hospital is open. Nobody has told us anything.”

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar on Tuesday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Kolkata doctor rape, and murder case, saying that the CM is delaying the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry in the matter.

“The CM is delaying it – if she wants to have a CBI inquiry in this matter, she should hand it over soon as proofs in such cases do not remain for many days,” said Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar.

Earlier on Monday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) demanded an impartial thorough investigation of the case and punishment of the culprits from the West Bengal government.

IMA has written to Union Minister JP Nadda demanding a detailed inquiry into the conditions enabling the crime as well as the steps to improve the safety of doctors especially women in the workplace.

IMA had given an ultimatum of two days on the above demands. “We submit to you our demand for the safe zone, defined security measures and Central Law on violence as deterrent measures. We hope you would consider our demands favourably in the light of the deteriorating ground situation,” the IMA letter reads.