Following the sexual assault and murder of a doctor on duty at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week, the Health Ministry on Friday has directed government-run medical colleges and institutions to file an institutional FIR in cases of violence against healthcare workers within six hours of the incident.

“....in the event of any violence against any healthcare worker while on duty, the Head of Institution shall be responsible for filing an Institutional FIR within a maximum of six hours of the incident,” said the order that was issued to the heads of colleges and institutions.

The sexual assault and murder of the doctor at a state-run institution in Kolkata has sparked an uproar and nation-wide protests. Resident doctors across various medical colleges in the country, including Kolkata and Delhi AIIMS, have refused to call off their strike, demanding justice and safety at work.

To make matters worse, a mob attacked protesting doctors, hospital staff and patients at RG Kar Hospital in early hours of August 15. The hospital was ransacked, which led to the nursing staff there observing a strike demanding better working conditions and safety at work.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest organisation of medics, has called for a 24-hour strike on Saturday, which is expected to affect most hospital departments except for essential services.

“Recently, it has been observed that violence against doctors and other healthcare staff in government hospitals has become common. A number of health workers suffer physical violence during the course of their duty. Many are threatened or exposed to verbal aggression...” the Health Ministry noted in its memorandum.

Previously, the Health Ministry had issued an advisory to the state-run hospitals asking them to ensure safety at work for doctors and health-care professionals.

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