In protest against the assault on doctors and healthcare workers at Shantinagar (Shastrinagar) Municipal Hospital in Dombivli, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra has called for a 24-hour statewide medical services shutdown on Monday, July 20. Regular medical services, including Outpatient Departments (OPDs), will remain closed from 6 AM on Monday to 6 AM on Tuesday, July 21, across hospitals in the state.
What Triggered the Protest
The strike call follows a July 6 assault at Shastrinagar Hospital in Dombivli, where Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and his supporters allegedly attacked doctors and health staff on duty. The medical fraternity has described the incident as an inhumane and unprovoked attack, and has criticised the state's response to it as inadequate.
The decision to escalate the protest was announced at a joint press conference addressed by IMA Kalyan president Dr Rajesh Raghav Raju, who said the medical community had been compelled to intensify its agitation after authorities failed to act decisively against those involved. Medical associations from Kalyan-Dombivli have extended full support to the shutdown, and representatives of several other medical bodies — including Shyam Potdukhe of the National [Resident Doctors' body] — were present at the announcement.
What Will Remain Shut, and What Won't
As part of Monday's protest, OPDs at hospitals across Maharashtra will stay closed for the full 24-hour period. However, medical organisations have clarified that emergency services, casualty departments, trauma care, and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) will continue functioning as usual, to ensure that critically ill patients are not left without care. Patients with non-emergency needs have been advised to plan around the shutdown or seek alternative arrangements for routine treatment and consultations.
The IMA has warned that if the Maharashtra government does not strengthen legal protections for healthcare workers and take strict action in the Dombivli assault case, doctors across the state will launch an indefinite strike from August 9. The association is seeking stronger laws against violence in hospitals, improved security measures, and faster legal action against those responsible, arguing that repeated attacks on healthcare workers continue to threaten the safety of medical professionals.