The brutal murder of a female doctor in Kolkata sent shockwaves through the medical fraternity across Punjab, with doctors launching protests that disrupted healthcare services statewide on Friday. Outpatient departments (OPDs) were shut down at 829 Aam Aadmi clinics, 550 rural medical dispensaries, government hospitals including medical colleges and primary health centers in solidarity with the demands of increased security and protection for medical professionals.
Emergency and medico-legal services continued to operate to ensure critical patient care was not compromised, but all routine and elective services such as OPD consultations, surgeries, and regular ward duties remained suspended. Private hospitals and nursing homes across Punjab also joined the strike, announcing that services would remain halted for 24 hours starting Saturday morning until Sunday.
Junior resident doctors at Government Medical College in Amritsar were among those protesting, demanding strict laws be put in place to ensure safety for women and doctors. They contended that if such a heinous crime could occur in Kolkata, no medical facility is immune. Rural Medical Services Association chief Dr. JP Narula emphasized that frequent attacks have made doctors easy targets, and appealed to the government to take urgent measures.
Symbols of protest like hanging a blood-stained physician's coat were used to draw attention to the escalating violence faced by healthcare workers. Doctors associations pressed authorities on their responsibility to provide security, stating that despite past requests, tangible steps are still needing. The incident has heightened the sense of vulnerability felt by many medical professionals, especially those working night shifts with inadequate protection. All hope this grim incident will spur real change before another tragedy occurs.
