IMA Demands Overhaul of Resident Doctors' Conditions Amid Protest

The IMA has presented five demands, including improved working conditions and a central law against violence at healthcare workplaces. They will conduct a 24-hour withdrawal of non-emergency services starting August 17 in protest of a resident doctor's rape and murder in Kolkata. Essential services will remain operational.

The IMA has issued five key demands for better working and living conditions for resident doctors and the implementation of a central law to prevent violence against healthcare professionals. This comes in response to the recent tragic rape and murder of a resident doctor in Kolkata's hospital.

To protest this incident and highlight their demands, the IMA has announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services starting August 17. Essential services will be maintained, but routine OPDs and elective surgeries will not be conducted, as per the doctors' body.

The IMA emphasized the need for a thorough review of resident doctors' working conditions, including eliminating 36-hour shifts and creating safe rest spaces. They also called for hospitals to be declared safe zones with strict security protocols akin to airport standards, and demanded a professional, timely investigation of the crime and appropriate compensation for the victim's family.