The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide withdrawal of non-essential medical services from 6 am on Saturday, August 17, to 6 am on Sunday, August 18, in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

In a statement released on Thursday, the IMA clarified that essential services will continue to operate, with emergency and casualty departments being manned as usual. However, routine outpatient services and elective surgeries will be halted during this 24-hour period across all sectors where modern medicine doctors are employed. The IMA emphasized the need for national solidarity with the doctors' cause, urging the public to support their protest.

Simultaneously, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) announced the resumption of its strike, just hours after unidentified miscreants vandalized parts of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the site of the heinous crime. This decision follows closely on the heels of FORDA's earlier move to call off the strike, a decision they now acknowledge caused "distress and disappointment" within the medical community.

"In light of the recent troubling events at RG Kar Medical College, we address our colleagues, the medical community, and the public with renewed resolve. We accept responsibility for the earlier decision to call off the strike, made in good faith based on assurances from the Ministry," FORDA said in a statement, expressing their shock and anguish over the violence.

The situation escalated further when unidentified individuals broke into the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the early hours of Thursday, vandalizing parts of the facility. This incident occurred amidst ongoing midnight protests by women demanding justice for the horrific rape and murder of the trainee doctor at the hospital.

The atmosphere at RG Kar Medical College remains tense, with the medical community and public alike reeling from the violence and loss. As the IMA and FORDA continue their protests, the focus remains on demanding accountability and ensuring the safety of medical professionals across the country.