IMA Maharashtra Announces Statewide 24-Hour OPD Shutdown On July 20
IMA Maharashtra Announces Statewide 24-Hour OPD Shutdown On July 20
Mumbai, July 19, 2026: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Maharashtra, has announced a 24-hour statewide shutdown of Outpatient Department (OPD) services on Monday, July 20, in protest against the alleged assault on doctors and hospital staff at Shastrinagar Hospital in Dombivli. The association is demanding stronger legal protection for healthcare professionals and stricter action against those responsible for the attack.
The decision was announced at a joint press conference by IMA Kalyan President Dr Rajesh Raghav Raju, who said the medical fraternity had been compelled to intensify its protest due to what it described as an inadequate response from the authorities following the incident.
The protest stems from an alleged assault that took place on July 6 at Shastrinagar Hospital in Dombivli. According to the IMA, Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and his supporters allegedly attacked doctors and hospital staff following a dispute over medical treatment. The incident sparked widespread outrage among medical professionals across Maharashtra, who have called for swift and exemplary legal action.
Addressing the media, Dr Raju said repeated attacks on healthcare workers have created an atmosphere of fear in hospitals, making it difficult for doctors to perform their duties without intimidation or threats.
The IMA has urged the Maharashtra government to strengthen existing laws protecting doctors and healthcare workers, introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for dealing with incidents of violence in hospitals, and establish an independent counselling and grievance redressal committee to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
As part of the protest, OPD services at hospitals across Maharashtra will remain suspended for 24 hours on July 20. However, the association clarified that emergency services, casualty wards, trauma centres, and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) will continue to function without disruption to ensure critical patients receive uninterrupted treatment.
The IMA has also warned that if the government fails to implement stronger safeguards and take decisive legal action against the accused, doctors across the state will launch an indefinite strike from August 9.
The press conference was attended by representatives of several medical organisations, including the National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA), Ayurved Vyaspeeth, Kalyan Homoeopathic Doctors’ Association, KEMPSWA, and the Indian Dental Association (IDA), all of whom extended support to the statewide protest.
Medical associations acknowledged that the OPD shutdown may inconvenience patients seeking routine consultations but said the protest was necessary to demand a safer working environment for healthcare professionals across Maharashtra.
