The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) has resumed its strike following a recent incident of vandalism at the crime scene of a brutal rape-murder at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The association’s decision to reinitiate the strike comes after a night of violence in Kolkata, which they describe as a “dark chapter” for the medical profession.
FORDA continues the strike after the recent Tragic Incident at R G Kar and failure of government to deliver on promises in a timely manner as assured.@ANI @PTI_News @MoHFW_INDIA @OfficeofJPNadda @JPNadda @MamataOfficial pic.twitter.com/suKeZjXyyH
— FORDA INDIA (@FordaIndia) August 15, 2024
In a statement, FORDA expressed deep shock and anguish over the unfolding events and criticized the government for not fulfilling its promises. “Our decision to resume the strike is driven by the tragic incident at R.G. Kar and the government’s failure to deliver on timely assurances,” the statement read.
Earlier this week, FORDA had briefly suspended the strike after receiving assurances from Union Health Minister JP Nadda. During a meeting, Nadda had agreed to form a committee involving FORDA to work on the Central Protection Act, with a commitment to begin work within 15 days. However, accusations soon emerged from Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDAs) at various hospitals, who claimed that FORDA had ended the strike without consulting them. They alleged that this decision betrayed the medical community’s interests.
Following FORDA’s suspension of the strike, several RDAs, including those from AIIMS, Safdarjung, and RML hospitals, expressed their dissent and announced their intention to continue the protest. Ayush Raj, General Secretary of Safdarjung Hospital RDA, confirmed that both faculty members and nursing staff are supporting the ongoing strike. Similarly, Rajat Sharma, President of GTB Hospital RDA, reported that resident doctors at his hospital held a demonstration on Thursday in support of the continued agitation.
