Kolkata, June 14: Healthcare services across the country are likely to be affected as various medical bodies will join doctors' strike today in solidarity with their protesting colleagues in West Bengal. The strike by the junior doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata has entered the fourth day. Despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government's warning, doctors have refused to budge.

The doctors went on a strike after an intern at the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital was seriously injured following a clash between junior doctors and relatives of a patient who died late Monday night due to alleged negligence. Since then, doctors have gone on strike demanding deployment of armed forces at hospitals across the state and strict action against those involved in the attack on their colleague. Principal, Vice Principal of NRS Medical College Resign as Doctors' Strike Continues.

The strike will turn into a nationwide protest with various medical bodies set to join the stir today. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has directed the members of all its state branches to stage protests and wear black badges today. IMA members will send an appeal to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demand a central Act on violence against doctors and hospitals.

"The gruesome incident in NRS Medical College, Kolkata, is of barbaric nature. IMA condemns the violence perpetrated on a young doctor. The entire medical fraternity expresses solidarity with the resident doctors who are on strike. The IMA headquarters hereby declares All India Protest Day on Friday," the IMA had said in a statement.

Resident doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi have said to join the protest and boycott work in order to express solidarity with the agitating doctors in West Bengal. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) held a meeting of its Emergent State Executive Committee on Thursday and decided to observe a bandh today.

"It is a call from DMA to all its esteemed members and owners of hospitals, nursing homes and medical establishment in Delhi to keep their establishments closed on 14th June 2019 as it is a Total Medical Bandh, however, emergency services will remain open," Girish Tyagi President, DMA said.

Yesterday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a four-hour ultimatum from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to withdraw the agitation and restore normalcy. However, the protesting doctors continued their protests. The strike also triggered a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2019 08:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).