'Horrific incident underscores need for protection Act'

FOR the last two days, the doctors are out in the street demonstrating their anger against the ghastly rape and murder of their female counterpart in Kolkata.

- ASHISH SRIVASTAVA

The protest, which began at a local level in West Bengal, spreads to other parts of the country with hundreds of doctors striking work. They are demanding time-bound probe in the case and adequate security for medicos in hospitals, among others. The initial call for a nationwide strike by the Federation of Resident doctors Association (FORDA) was followed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA). In city alone, almost every government medical college and hospital are facing indefinite shutdown of its elective services. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday held a meeting with Union Health Minister J P Nadda to raise key issues affecting the medical community and gave him a memorandum of demands, which included declaration of hospitals as safe zones, introduction of a central law against violence, and security stipulations for medical college recognition.

In an interview with Dr Aviral Mathur, president, FORDA, and Dr Rohan Krishnan, chairman, FAIMA, Ashish Srivastava tries to find out doctors' plights, strike's relevance on national pedestal and the repercussions being alone. It is crucial that the genfaced by the patients.

Although the incident occurred in Kolkata, why has your association called for a nationwide strike? Aviral: This is not just a crime against healthcare workers; it's a crime against humanity itself.