PANAJI
In solidarity and to seek justice for their colleague who was killed in the brutal rape and murder incident at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital last week, doctors and medical students besides support staff of hospitals across
Goa struck work and held a huge demonstration in the capital city on Saturday.
The medical professionals struck work since 6 am and will continue to stay away from work, except for attending to, medical emergencies until 6 am on Sunday.
Doctors and other medical professionals deployed in emergency rooms and trauma units did not join the strike as these services are essential and life-saving, according to IMA Goa president, Dr Sandesh Chodankar.
Earlier on Friday, resident doctors struck work at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Bambolim. They have said they too will keep emergency services on stream while refraining from attending to elective OPDs, elective OTs and ward duties.
The action of the resident doctors have disrupted routine OPD services at the premier public health institution.
Their Association -- The Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) -- had also staged a protest at the GMCH campus on Friday. GARD said a decision on whether to prolong their protest action beyond Saturday will be taken based on what the parent body in Delhi decides.
Meanwhile, several of the protesting doctors The Goan spoke to acknowledged that working conditions in hospitals here in Goa are relatively safer but opined that the potential for one-off incidents of violence or threat to their security cannot be ruled out completely.
The IMA's national body has demanded improvement in working and living conditions for resident doctors. It said, residents have 36-hour shifts but do not have adequate rest areas on the hospital premises, citing it as one possible reason that led to the horrific incident at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital.
It has also demanded that hospital security arrangements be made on par with airports by declaring hospitals as safe zones and adding measures like installing CCTVs and deploying adequate security personnel.
