Nagpur: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Maharashtra, has announced a 24-hour statewide withdrawal of routine healthcare services on July 20 in protest of the recent assault on doctors and healthcare workers at Shastrinagar Municipal Hospital in Dombivli.While the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (Central MARD) has extended support to the agitation, it has decided against joining the strike and directed resident doctors at GMCs to continue clinical and academic duties to ensure uninterrupted patient care.IMA’s protest will begin at 6am on Monday, July 20, and continue till 6am on Tuesday, July 21. During this period, routine OPD services, elective surgeries and other non-emergency medical services will remain suspended across the state. However, emergency departments, intensive care units, maternity services and all life-saving treatments will function as usual.On July 6, a corporator had attacked doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers at the Dombivli civic hospital. IMA termed the incident an attack on the entire healthcare system and stressed the protest was aimed at ensuring a safe working environment for medical professionals rather than inconveniencing patients.IMA Maharashtra has also submitted a charter of demands to the state, including immediate and stringent action against those involved in the assault, amendments to the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2010, mandatory 24×7 security at hospitals, a statewide ‘zero tolerance’ policy against violence in healthcare institutions, fast-track trials in such cases, curbs on political interference in hospitals and enhanced funding for govt healthcare infra.The association warned that if the govt fails to act, it will launch an indefinite statewide agitation from August 9, under banner of the United Medical Front, with the possibility of a complete shutdown of medical services across the state.
