The IMA announced on Thursday that it will file an interlocutory application to intervene in the Supreme Court’s suo motu case concerning the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) headquarters is also preparing to participate in the task force set up by the Supreme Court to develop protocols for the safety of healthcare professionals.

The tragic incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a junior doctor was allegedly raped and murdered, has sparked nationwide protests, disrupting non-emergency services in several hospitals.

In a communication to its members, the IMA stated that it will file the IA in the Supreme Court and is preparing necessary documents for the task force. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the case on Tuesday, forming a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to establish safety protocols for healthcare workers.

The IMA described the incident as “horrific” and criticized the state government for delaying the FIR and allowing vandalism at the hospital.

The IMA also met with resident doctors’ associations (RDAs) in Delhi, offering support and coordinating efforts for real-time information sharing. The IMA attended Supreme Court hearings on the case and decided to file the interlocutory application.

Additionally, the IMA urged its local branches to meet with MPs to advocate for a central law against violence towards healthcare workers. The IMA has also written to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to push for such a law and to declare hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security.

The communication emphasized that state branches are free to organize protests and campaigns to support the central law, with IMA-JDN coordinating with RDAs. The IMA asserted that the struggle will continue until an ordinance is proclaimed.

Meanwhile, the resident doctors’ indefinite protest against the Kolkata incident has entered its 11th day, severely impacting patient services in Delhi hospitals, despite the Supreme Court’s request for the protesters to resume work.

Source: PTI

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