Doctors on Nationwide Hunger Strike
Junior doctors across India, led by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), are set to go on a nationwide hunger strike to support their peers in West Bengal, who have been protesting against government inaction. The protest, beginning on Tuesday, raises concerns about the future of healthcare services as tensions escalate between medical professionals and the administration.
It seems the good old phrase “doctor’s orders” is taking on an entirely new meaning in West Bengal. But instead of issuing prescriptions, the junior doctors have now issued an ultimatum. As the medical fraternity in Bengal stirs in protest, with junior doctors leading the charge, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has stepped into the fray, and things are heating up quicker than a kettle on full boil.
On Thursday night, the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, found herself the recipient of a strongly-worded letter from the IMA. It wasn’t exactly a love letter, but it did warn that things could get ugly unless the government steps up. And just as you’d think this was the crescendo, the IMA Bengal joined the chorus, sounding their own alarm bells. Now, they’ve announced a nationwide 12-hour hunger strike to support the junior doctors who are already well into their hunger games.
Starting at 6 a.m. this coming Tuesday, junior doctors across all states will ditch their meals in a show of solidarity, fasting from dawn till dusk in their medical colleges and hostels. Presumably, anyone looking for a quick prescription for their indigestion that day might be out of luck. In preparation, the IMA’s state and regional branches were called to an emergency meeting over the weekend to coordinate this symbolic protest – if there’s one thing you can’t accuse the doctors of, it’s failing to get organised.
The IMA has now made it clear that they are walking a serious path – no, not the hospital corridors – but a path of national protest, with the Junior Doctors Network (JDN) and Medical Students Network (MSN) at the helm. And just in case anyone was getting confused, this isn’t about handing out free stethoscopes or organising a group Zumba class. It’s about addressing what they see as the government’s inaction regarding the junior doctors’ concerns, which have led to their hunger strike in the first place.
The situation had already been simmering since last Friday when the IMA President, RV Asokan, visited the protest site at Dharmatala in Kolkata. After taking a good look at the doctors perched on their fasting podiums, he advised them to call it off for the sake of their health. Alas, it seems his words fell on deaf ears, as the protests only gathered momentum. By Sunday, the IMA Bengal had announced a symbolic 12-hour fast across the state from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., while reminding the government that they might just have to escalate things if the problem isn’t addressed.
You know you’re in for a proper head-to-head when you’ve got the entire state’s doctors involved, and by 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, the IMA Bengal issued a firm press statement that might as well have been written in neon. Junior doctors are falling ill one after another as their hunger strike continues, the statement said, and the entire medical community is on edge about the deteriorating health of their colleagues. The message to the administration? Get a move on and solve this before it turns into a proper medical crisis.
The IMA’s Bengal chapter wasn’t the only group with a bone to pick. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) also chimed in with a letter to Mamata Banerjee. Like a pair of boxing gloves landing left-right punches, FAIMA too delivered a warning – if their demands aren’t met, the country’s healthcare services could come to a grinding halt. With that, the pressure on the government is mounting faster than a speeding ambulance.
As we look ahead to Tuesday’s nationwide fast, one wonders how the government will respond. The IMA and junior doctors aren’t about to back down easily. After all, it’s hard to deny the doctors their say when they’re the ones usually holding the life-saving instruments. Let’s just hope this particular standoff ends with a prescription for peace, rather than a full-blown emergency.
Until then, keep an eye on the headlines, and maybe stash an extra paracetamol or two – things in the medical world are getting serious.
Cover Picture Sources Anandabazar Potrika
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