In response to the tragic rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata, junior doctors at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi launched a ‘pen-down’ strike on Tuesday, August 13. Approximately 200 junior doctors participated in the protest, suspending their services in the Outpatient Department (OPD) and halting elective surgeries. However, they continued to provide emergency care at the hospital.
The aggrieved doctors called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case, demanding justice for the deceased doctor from Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. “We have around 200 doctors participating in the agitation, and senior resident doctors are standing in solidarity with us,” stated Ankit Kumar, President of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) at RIMS. He added, “While we are protesting, we are making sure that emergency services remain unaffected so that patients in urgent need are not impacted.”
The protestors voiced their concerns on the RIMS campus, condemning the incident and pressing for improved safety measures for doctors in their workplaces.
Meanwhile, the unrest has spread to other medical institutions in Jharkhand. Junior and senior doctors at MGM Medical College and Hospital (Jamshedpur), Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (Dhanbad), Phulo Jano Medical College and Hospital (Dumka), Sheikh Bhikari Medical College and Hospital (Hazaribag), and Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (Palamu) have planned a candlelight vigil for Tuesday evening. According to Dr. Raghvendra, State Secretary of the IMA Junior Doctors Network, the outcome of the vigil will influence their decision on whether to escalate their protest to a full ceasework strike.