Resident doctors and postgraduate trainees of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and G.B. Pant Hospital have threatened to go on a pen-down strike from Monday, October 5, over an incident involving a senior resident doctor and the subsequent circulation of video and other content on social media.
The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA), AGMC and G.B. Pant Hospital, has given the authorities a deadline to address four demands before 9:00 AM on Monday. The association said failure to act on the demands would lead to the proposed strike.
In a statement, the RDA said it had decided to place its account of the incident before the public following the circulation of what it described as unauthorised and misleading material online. According to the association, the issue goes beyond the individual incident and concerns the privacy, dignity and professional reputation of healthcare workers.
Among its key demands, the RDA has sought the arrest and legal prosecution of those allegedly responsible for recording and circulating the video without consent. It has also called for action against social-media accounts, pages and other platforms that allegedly published or redistributed unverified or defamatory material concerning the incident.
The association has further demanded the removal of videos, photographs, reels and other online posts that it claims contain misleading or defamatory information. It has urged authorities to take steps to prevent such material from being circulated or uploaded again.
The RDA has also called upon media organisations and social-media platforms that published allegedly unverified information to issue corrections or clarifications, and apologies wherever legally warranted.
The doctors’ body said the circulation of unverified content could have wider consequences, including affecting the doctor-patient relationship and public confidence in medical professionals.
Appealing to the public, the RDA urged people to verify information before sharing or forming conclusions based on social-media posts.
The association reiterated that resident doctors and PGTs would continue to perform their professional responsibilities while seeking protection of the dignity and integrity of healthcare workers.
However, it made it clear that if the four demands are not addressed by the stipulated deadline, resident doctors and PGTs will begin a pen-down strike from 9:00 AM on October 5.
