Surgeries and outpatient services at hospitals across Bengal are likely to be affected on Saturday as the Indian Medical Association (Headquarters) has given a call for “withdrawal of services” by all doctors for 24 hours in protest against the rape and murder at RG Kar hospital and the vandalism there.

The association has called for “withdrawal of services” from 6am on Saturday till 6am on Sunday.

Officials at several private hospitals in Calcutta said planned surgeries and procedures lined up for Saturday have been cancelled or deferred. Some of the doctors who will take part in the protest said they would perform surgeries on Sunday.

On Wednesday, many doctors at private hospitals in Bengal stayed away from OPD duty in protest against the rape and murder.

“Subsequent to the brutal crime in RG Kar Medical College and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day, Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6am on Saturday August 17 to 6am on Sunday August 18 for 24 hours,” the IMA (Headquarters) said in a statement signed by R.V. Asokan, national president, and Anilkumar J. Nayak, honorary secretary general.

“Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted,” it said.

“We are duty-bound to respond to this situation. We need to ensure the security of our women doctors. At the same time, it has to be done without hurting the patients,” Asokan told Metro on Friday.

“Our appeal is to the doctors and not hospitals. We are asking all doctors to withdraw routine care but be available for emergencies and casualties,” he said.

The IMA has 4 lakh doctors across India as its members. “We are calling on all doctors to withdraw services,” said Asokan.

“We would not like to go in for more action. Every aggressive action will hurtour patients. But we expect the Union government to bemore sympathetic towards the doctors.”

Asokan said the IMA is demanding a central law to prevent violence against doctors, a declaration that all hospitals as safe zones and improved work and living conditions of the doctors.

Several hospitals said services would be hit. “Several surgeries scheduled for Saturday have been deferred. We are expecting some surgeries to take place on Sunday,” said Rupak Barua, managing director and CEO, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital.

“We have geared up our emergency department so that if patients coming to the OPD are not seen by doctors, we can take them to theemergency.”

At Belle Vue Clinic, the authorities are apprehending that surgeries would be cancelled. “We are apprehending that surgeries and OPDs will be affected. We will keep our OPDs open and if any patient turns up, we will arrange for consultation,” said Pradip Tondon, CEO of Belle Vue.

Some of the doctors said they would perform surgeries on Sunday.

“I will be doing a brain surgery on Saturday which cannot be postponed. But I will not do any other planned surgery or sit in the OPD. However, I will do those surgeries on Sunday,” said L.N. Tripathi, vice-chairman, MedicaHospitals, and director, Medica Institute of Neurological Diseases.