Jorhat, September 3: Days after Assam doctor Deven Dutta was beaten to death by tea garden workers, the state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Assam Medical Service Association (AMSA) have called for 24 hours strike. The strike started at 6 am on Tuesday. Only the emergency services and the Outpatient Department (OPD) will remain open. The medical bodies will also take out a candlelight march to mourn the death of Dutta on Tuesday at 7 pm. Bihar: Nurses of a Hospital in Katihar Thrash a Doctor Who Allegedly Molested Female Medical Staff; Watch Video.

Healthcare services were also affected on Monday as doctors in government and private hospitals were absent from duty to protest against the killing of Dutta. According to reports, doctors in Jorhat Medical College Hospital (JMCH), Civil Hospital, family referral units, primary health centres abstained from work. In Jorhat town, doctors, pharmacists and para-medical persons held a dharna in front of the deputy commissioner's office demanding justice for the 73-year-old doctor. Mob Lynching in Assam: IMA, ASMA Call for 24 Hours Strike Following Doctor’s Death, Police Detain 21 People.

Meanwhile, the state police detained 26 people from the Teok Tea Estate, where the doctor was attacked. The doctor was assaulted by the family of the 32-year-old tea garden worker Somra Majhi, who died during treatment at a hospital. Dutta was on a lunch break when Majhi died. The relatives of Majhi attacked the doctor as they blamed him for her death.

Dutta was immediately shifted to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The district administration also ordered an inquiry into the matter. The 73-year-old doctor was working in the hospital after his retirement without remuneration. Rajasthan Shocker: Doctor Thrashes Patient at Sawai Man Singh Medical College; Watch Video.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare proposed legislation to address the issue of violence against healthcare professionals and damage to the property of clinical establishments across the country. The move comes after doctors on several occasions went on an indefinite strike all over India as they were assaulted and attacked by family members of the attendants.

(With agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2019 12:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).