Doctors across India held protest marches on Monday morning in solidarity with their counterparts in Kolkata who have been on protesting since last Tuesday demanding better security. The protest has hit patients care.

Joined under the Indian Medical Association umbrella, over 10,000 doctors from 22 hospitals have extended support to the strike where all non-essential services have been withdrawn till Tuesday 6 a.m.

Emergency and casualty services, however, will continue to function.

While All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, earlier decided to stay away from the protests to take care of the patients, it has joined the strike following assault on one of its doctor in the early morning of Monday.

“We joined the strike at 8 a.m. and non-essential services stand withdrawn,” said a statement released by doctors here.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet the Kolkata doctors at an auditorium adjacent to the State secretariat at 3 p.m.

Doctors from Delhi, Haryana, Jaipur, Kerala and other places have joined the strike in a show of solidarity.