By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Doctors from private and government hospitals and medical colleges across Hyderabad protested against the brutal assault on a junior doctor by a mob earlier this month in Kolkata. As a part of the strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), out-patient services along with elective surgery-related services remained shut for 24 hours. The different doctor’s welfare outfits across hospitals had three major demands -- a Central Protection Act, a safe environment in medical colleges and hospitals, and the immediate revoking of the proposed age-hike in the retirement age for medical professors. Doctors were also seen staging awareness skits and street plays, depicting what medicos go through in an emergency ward. Dr Gundagani Srinivas, convenor of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science Resident Doctors Association, said, “Our main demand is to legislate a Central Protection Act to hold mobs and assaulters accountable with rigorous imprisonment of up to 12 years.” Drawing a comparison to the punishment meted out for attacking police personnel, Dr Srinivas, added, “Similar to how an attack on police is taken seriously, we would like the State to back up medical and healthcare professionals as well. We have also asked for Special Armed Forces, as existing security measures have failed.” Doctors protest outside Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad. (Bottom) A patient waits for a doctor to tend to him. (Photo | Sathya Keerthi, EPS) Dr Prathap Reddy, president of Indian Medical Association-Telangana, said, “While the State does have a protection mechanism in place, the manual implementation is close to nil. There have been multiple assaults on doctors in the recent past in many hospitals. However, the State Protection Act has not been implemented once.” TJUDA extends strike for another day Telangana Junior Doctors Association will be continuing the strike at Osmania General Hospital on Tuesday, and will be boycotting elective services to protest the proposed hike in retirement age of medical college professors. Dr P S Vijayender, chairman of TJUDA said, “ We extend our support for the protest meeting, Nirudyoga Sabha, opposing retirement age hike.”

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