In response to the ongoing protests following the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor in West Bengal, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has declared a nationwide hunger strike. The decision was made during a meeting on Monday, with the hunger strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday, marking two months since the tragic incident involving a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College, which occurred on August 9.
“We have been in close contact with the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front and are united in our stance,” said Suvrankar Datta, President of FAIMA. “After extensive deliberation, we have decided to organise a nationwide hunger strike in solidarity with our colleagues in West Bengal, Datta said.
Datta highlighted that the hunger strike aims to amplify the voices of junior doctors who have been striking for weeks, demanding better working conditions, improved safety protocols, and essential reforms. The doctors' association also urged healthcare workers nationwide to join the strike, emphasizing solidarity among medical professionals in their pursuit of fair treatment and enhanced working conditions, according to a statement from FAIMA.