Doctors at New Delhi’s main hospital end strike after Supreme Court appeal

Doctors at New Delhi’s main government hospital announced on Thursday that they were returning to full-service care, hours after the Supreme Court appealed to the effect. On Tuesday, the institution ordered the creation of a task force of doctors to prepare a plan to prevent violence in hospitals.

After the body of a young doctor was found in a government hospital in Kolkata on August 9, doctors in government hospitals went on strike, leading to the shutdown of non-essential medical care in many cities. The Supreme Court on Thursday called on doctors to return to work. “We are resuming our duties after the appeal and assurances of the Supreme Court”the Resident Doctors’ Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, said in a statement.

Doctors stressed that they were ending their strike “in the interest of the nation and in the spirit of public service.” They also called on the authorities to respect “the guidelines” of the Supreme Court, specifying that their demonstrations would continue after working hours “until justice is done.” On Thursday, armed police guarded the walls of the Calcutta teaching hospital where the young doctor was killed.