Indian doctors go on strike to protest violent patient attacks
Overworked staff demand higher recruitment and better security measures in hospitals.
Monday 17 June 2019 18:28, UK
Doctors across India have gone on strike over the lack of protection against violence by patients and their families.
Hundreds of thousands went on strike demanding better working conditions, according to the country's top medical body.
The protests started after an attack at a medical college in West Bengal a week ago, which left three members of staff seriously injured.
Doctors across India started joining the protest in solidarity with their colleagues, calling for better protection and security measures in hospitals.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said almost all of their represented doctors went on strike today, apart from the emergency services.
The protests affected hundreds of hospitals, with many patients left queuing at clinics due to the limited number of doctors on duty.
The IMA is calling for tougher punishments for attackers, as well as more support for the staff, who often see more than 100 patients a day.
The IMA's honorary general secretary, Dr RV Asokan, told Reuters that doctors' workload is "inhuman" and the government is "not recruiting enough".
Doctors from West Bengal medical college have been protesting since last week's attack and were due to hold talks with the government.