Over 1,000 doctors in Goa will refrain from attending outpatient department (OPD) services for 24 hours starting tomorrow. This protest is in response to the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee physician in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Goa Branch president Dr. Sandesh Chodankar announced this on Thursday. The OPD services in both private and government hospitals will be shut from 6 am on August 17 to 6 am on August 18. This decision aligns with the nationwide strike called by the IMA to condemn the incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week.

Dr. Chodankar stated that more than 1,000 doctors would participate in the strike. Discussions are also ongoing with hospital support staff to join the state-wide protest. He urged all members of the Goa unit to follow the national body’s directives to show unity and solidarity with the victim. He said, what happened at the Kolkata hospital was a national shame and an attack on humanity. He emphasised that this incident is not just about violence against a doctor but a brutal attack on a woman at her workplace, which could demand a nationwide shutdown across all professions if it occurred in other sectors. Dr. Chodankar noted that adhering to IMA guidelines and shutting down routine OPD services is the minimum they can offer without compromising emergency patient care. The further course of action regarding the agitation will be decided on August 18.