IMA withdraws symbolic candle protest against attacks on doctors, medical staff amid coronavirus

Following a meeting with Union Home minister, the members of Indian Medical Association has withdrawn its earlier call for symbolic protest on Wednesday night with candles.

Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan interacted with doctors and senior representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), through a video conference, in New Delhi on Wednesday, where the Home Minister appreciated the role of doctors in the fight against Coronavirus.

He allayed all concerns of the medical fraternity regarding their security in the fight against Coronavirus, he assured them that the government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring their well-being and security.

Shah strongly condemned the recent attacks on health professionals and said that all necessary arrangements would be put in place to prevent such incidents in future. He appealed to doctors not to do even a symbolic protest as proposed by them, as it is not in national or global interest.

Considering the immediate high level response from the Union government and assurance given by the Union Home and Health Ministers, the IMA has withdrawn the proposed protest to maintain the fight against COVID-19 in an uninterrupted manner.

The IMA call for protest came in the wake of a mob attack on doctors in Chennai where a deceased doctor’s body in an ambulance was blocked and stoned preventing burial. The post by Dr. Pradeep Kumar has gone viral forcing the IMA to call for a symbolic candle light arrest on Wednesday, April 22.