Shimla, Aug 17,
Health services throughout Himachal Pradesh have been severely impacted as the Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) aligns with a nationwide strike led by resident doctors.
The protest, triggered by the tragic assault and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, has caused significant disruptions in the state’s government medical colleges and hospitals. Presently, only emergency services are operational, leaving numerous patients without essential care. Many patients, unaware of the strike, arrived at hospitals expecting regular services, only to find both resident and consultant doctors absent from the Outpatient Departments (OPD).
The strike initially began with resident doctors staging a two-day walkout and has since intensified as senior doctors participated in a 24-hour protest on Saturday. This collective action has forced patients to seek care at private hospitals, placing an additional burden on those who depend on government facilities.
Dr. Vikas Thakur, General Secretary of the HMOA, expressed the association’s solidarity with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), and the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FOAIA) in their pursuit of justice. This strike is a response to the brutal killing of a trainee doctor in Kolkata on August 9th. Although the Calcutta High Court has assigned the investigation to the CBI, the medical community remains unsatisfied, citing concerns about possible tampering with evidence.
The ongoing protest has left patients at medical colleges and hospitals across the state facing severe delays, with many expected to wait until Monday for treatment due to the strike extending into Sunday. The strike underscores the profound frustration and insecurity within the medical community, highlighting their demands for justice and enhanced safety measures for their peers nationwide.
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