Madhya Pradesh HC Demands State's Response on Doctors' Strike Over Kolkata Incident

The Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the state government and others demanding a swift reply to the doctors' strike organized in protest of the rape and murder of a woman medic in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association has announced a nationwide 24-hour withdrawal of non-emergency health services in response to the gruesome event.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday issued notices to the state government and other entities, seeking their reply within 24 hours on the strike called by doctors on August 17. This strike aimed to protest the alleged rape and murder of a woman medic at a Kolkata hospital, followed by the vandalization of the health facility.

A division bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf, sent notices to the dean of Bhopal's Gandhi Medical College (GMC), the Junior Doctors Association, and others. The action was prompted by a petition from Anshul Tiwari, a Narsinghpur resident, challenging the strike.

The Madhya Pradesh government's notice and that of the dean of the state-run GMC were accepted by the additional advocate general in the High Court. The court further ordered that the notice to the Junior Doctors Association be dispatched via all possible means, including WhatsApp and email. The next hearing is scheduled for Saturday, August 17. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) declared a nationwide non-emergency health service withdrawal for 24 hours starting August 17, protesting the Kolkata incident and calling for a thorough and timely investigation.