Cardiologist ends hunger strike after 20 days—but he is still putting up a fight
The cardiologist in India who was protesting his department’s lack of resources has officially ended his hunger strike after 20 days. His demands have not yet been met, but a group of “religious leaders, social workers and intellectuals of the society” urged him to stop due to concerns about his “deteriorating health.”
Professor Om Shankar started his hunger strike on May 11, saying that he refused to eat until Sir Sunderlal Hospital, a teaching hospital at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, India, was given more beds to treat its heart patients. Shankar had requested more beds in 2023, but grew inpatient by the lack of action. He believes the hospital’s cardiology department should have at least 90 beds, but they currently have 47.
When he started the strike, Shankar was the head of his cardiology department. However, the hospital stripped him of that title as a result of his protest.
Though Shankar did officially end his hunger strike, he has not given up the fight. According to a statement he shared on social media, he is forming a new committee with like-minded activists. The group plans to “spread the agitation all across the country.”
In addition to wanting more beds for his hospital’s cardiology department, Shankar’s new committee also wants 10% of the budgets of all “central and state governments” in India to be set aside for health and education initiatives.
In other hunger strike-related news, BHU officials have said they will once again review Shankar’s complaints, as reported by The Times of India. The report also indicated that multiple government officials have shown support of Shankar’s cause.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.