Resident Doctors End 8-Day Strike, Return to Work Following Assurance from CM Sukhu
After an eight-day strike, resident doctors are resuming work today. The decision comes after Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu provided assurances on Tuesday, leading the State Medical and Dental Teachers Association (SEMDICOT) to withdraw the strike.
As a result, routine OPD services and operation theaters at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Atal Super Specialty Institute of Medical Sciences (Chamyana), and Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH), along with other hospitals across the state, will function normally from today, Wednesday. Patients visiting hospitals from across the state, including Shimla, will no longer face any disruptions in their treatment.
The strike was triggered by the outrage among doctors following the rape and brutal murder of a female trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Over 100 resident doctors from the city’s three major hospitals had been on strike, demanding strict punishment for those involved in the horrific incident.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Sukhu held a meeting with the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) and SEMDICOT at the Secretariat, which lasted for an hour and a half. During the meeting, the association raised concerns about preventing such incidents involving doctors, improving security arrangements, providing duty rooms, installing CCTV cameras, and implementing the Mediperson Act.
In response, the Chief Minister assured that the Mediperson Act would be studied, and directed the administration to swiftly enhance security and other facilities. The police were also instructed to ensure effective security arrangements.
