All resident doctors have been asked to resume their duties from Friday, ending for now, 11 days of protest, where they had withdrawn out-patient department (OPD) and elective services.

This was announced by the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) in a statement, adding however, that this was a “suspension, not termination” of the strike. The doctors association added, that it would further review progress on the demands of colleagues at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College, in two weeks.

FORDA was reacting to developments at the second day of hearing at the Supreme Court, on the case involving the alleged rape and murder of a young doctor at RG Kar Medical College.  The apex court had urged protesting doctors to resume duties, assuring them that no action would be taken against them. In fact, under the SC’s watch, a national taskforce has also been set up to recommend measures for the safety of healthcare workers and improvement of living conditions, among other things.

Other doctors’ associations including from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi RDAs, Nimhans etc also followed suit with similar statements, indicating that they were calling off their strike and resuming duties. However, in solidarity with doctors at RG Kar, they said, they would hold a symbolic protest, once every week.

Symbolic protest

“We promise to still stand with R G Kar and continue the symbolic peaceful protest in form of a silent march once every week to show our solidarity. We will keep following the actions of the authorities regularly and accordingly we will decide our further course of action,” said a note from the Delhi RDAs.

The association further called for “no academic, financial, mental, physical punishment” to be handed over to any undergraduate student, intern, postgraduate students, and senior resident doctor, which includes both regular and ad-hoc senior resident doctors. “No attendance or salary/stipend cut would be handed over to any student, intern, postgraduate student, or senior resident doctor,” it said, adding that the same had been mentioned by the Supreme Court in its hearing, on Thursday.